


To The Moon And Back

by jurilit



Series: Through the Smoke [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Masturbation, Romance, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-03
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-19 07:35:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 26,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8196178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jurilit/pseuds/jurilit
Summary: When you find someone you can trust with your life and more, you feel it in your bones.





	1. Chapter 1

Niles wasn’t quite sure how he ended up in this position. Or, well, he _did_ \-- he was a thief, after all -- but it was unfortunate nonetheless. _Oh well_ , he thought as his arms were twisted behind his back and his face shoved into stone floor. He would’ve left him, too, if he were his friends. _Not friends_ , Niles corrected bitterly. Just people who shared his unfortunate living situation.

It was fine, though, since Niles knew he wouldn’t be living for too much longer.

He tried to twist his arms out from his assailant -- a guard in the royal palace, which technically made _Niles_ the assailant, since he had been _robbing_ the royal palace -- but to no avail. His cheek against the cold floor reminded him of the other various times he’d been forcefully shoved into the ground for a various number of reasons, none of them good.

But it was fine, though, since he knew he’d never have to experience that again. The dead don’t have experiences, after all.

“Stay down, you shitty sewer rat,” the guard snarled, and Niles could hear the cocky twinge in his voice that turned his assailant’s lips into a wicked grin. Niles wanted to wipe it off and shove this man’s face into a guardrail. He glanced at his bow that had clattered to the ground. He was fine with dying. As long as he got to kill this bastard, too.

“Hans?” asked a different voice. A younger voice. Niles heard the clicking of steel boots against the stone and craned his head up slightly, flickers of gold and black in his vision. “What’s going on?”

“Prince Leo,” Hans greeted, and Niles managed to get a glimpse of the youngest prince of the Nohrian family. He’d never seen Prince Leo in person -- the Nohrian royalty, of course, didn’t frequent the town.

Niles sighed, but it wasn’t out of exasperation. He was relieved. Prince Leo was rumored to be quite cruel. The rumors continued to say that Prince Leo also performed executions himself, and while they were bloody, they were quick. Which meant that Niles would finally, _finally_ get to die.

“We caught this dirty thief and his friends trying to make way with some gold and weapons,” Hans explained. “They used this one as bait and ditched him.”

“I see,” Leo said simply. “You’re dismissed, Hans. I can take it from here.”

“B-but milord, we should execute this _vermin_ \--”

“Hans,” Leo interrupted, not needing to raise his voice to command Hans’ attention. “Are you saying that I am incapable of handling this situation on my own?”

“N-no, of course not--”

“Then you’re dismissed,” Leo said simply, and Niles felt the hand shoving him into the pavement release him. Niles crawled up to his knees, and with Leo, watched Hans stomp out of the room and slam the door shut.

Leo turned to look at Niles, his violet eyes almost glowing with the crackling of his magic. “What’s your name?”

Niles paused for a moment, pressing his lips together. “Niles,” he said. It didn’t matter anyway.

“My name is Leo, but you know that already, don’t you?”

Niles shrugged. “I just know a royal when I see one.”

“Well, then I can also assume that you know that in the time that it took Hans to leave just now, you could have snatched up your bow and killed us both,” Leo said, nodding towards Niles’ bow and quiver. “And you could’ve killed me at any point in this conversation,” Leo noted, and it was the truth. Niles knew he was fast enough to at least get his hands on his bow if he wanted to. But he didn’t want to.

Niles chuckled dryly, shaking his head. “You sure have a lot of confidence in me, don’t you, milord?”

“I just know a killer when I see one,” Leo replied shortly, and Niles smirked up at Leo, despite himself.

His one blue eye locked on Leo’s, and he raised an eyebrow slightly. “Because you are one?”

“Yes, I am,” Leo said simply. Niles couldn’t read him, but he supposed it wouldn’t matter.

“Good,” Niles replied, looking up at Leo. “Then kill me.”

Niles saw the emotionless facade break for a split second. For a moment, Niles thought it was confusion, or pity. Then he realized, it was sadness. Niles didn’t know what to think. When he was looked at with confusion, he just ran his mouth. When he was looked at with pity, he got angry and annoyed. He’d never been looked at with sadness before.  

“You _want_ to die?” Leo asked quietly.

“I have for a while. I’ve nothing to live for, nothing to return to,” he said, immediately, and looked up at Leo with his one eye, nodding. “So kill me. Please.”

Niles heard the flicker of magic and held his breath, a feeling mixed between dread and peace surging through his veins. It was finally over. In a moment, his pitiful life flashed before his eyes -- rain, darkness, blood, hunger, long nights under the moon -- he remembered all of it. His life had never been worth anything and the world wouldn’t change if he suddenly disappeared from it.

Niles heard crackle and a burst of fire and looked up to see his bow in purple flames. He looked back up at Leo, who had already shut his tome, tucking it away. “It was kind of a shitty bow anyway,” Leo told him with a sigh. “On your feet,” he added, turning for the door. “Let’s go get you a new one.”

 

\---

 

Niles wasn’t sure if he was alive or not. He had to be in some sort of fantasy, dream, or tripping out on some kind of intense new underground drug because there was no way in hell that Prince Leo of Nohr was getting him fitted for a new bow and armor.

But here he was, standing in fresh new garb after taking the first hot bath he’s had in weeks with a Killer Bow strapped to his back. He’d been left with several housemaids, who had had set him up with temporary quarters in Leo’s wing of the castle, and he’d been brought a hot meal straight from the kitchen. All his past knowledge told him not to eat it, it could be poisoned, but he was so hungry; he hadn’t eaten warm food in months, and shoveled the entire meal down his throat. A part of him still believed it would be his last.

A maid came and told him that Leo would be out of the castle for two days and that he would be free to venture out of his room if he so pleased. She closed the door behind her and Niles was waiting to hear it lock from the outside -- he certainly had to be prisoner here, especially if Leo was out of the castle -- but no lock clicked. He stood up and looked at the doorknob, pulling on it, expecting it to be locked, somehow. It wasn’t.

He went back inside his room and took off the bow and quiver, and sat on the bed in his quarters, instinctively lying down. It’d been awhile since he’s slept on a bed. He shouldn’t sleep, he _knew_ he shouldn’t, ever fiber in his body told him not to, but he burst awake two days later from a loud crash. His hands flew to his pocket and he whipped out a knife, hands up in front of him.

The maid who was bringing Niles a meal held up her hands, waving them. “I-I’m sorry, I tripped on your quiver!” she said, and Niles looked to see that she had spilled his arrows from their quiver, and also dropped all the food the ground.

“Sorry,” he said, lowering his knife and sheathing it. He stood to help her clean up, handing her a towel. “Sorry,” he said again. “You’ve brought me meals and helped with my clothes, but I haven’t learned your name.”

“Felicia,” she said with a smile so bright that Niles almost had to shield his eye.

“Niles,” he introduced and she waved her hands.

“Of course I know who you are,” she told him as she wiped the floor. “Prince Leo’s trusted retainer!”

“Prince Leo’s what now?” Niles asked, blinking a few times.

“Oh, Prince Leo is home,” Felicia said, glancing out the window to see the gates lowered, an small army lead by a knight on a horse, who Niles could only assume was Leo. Felicia turned back to Niles and offered him a smile. “Don’t worry about the mess! You can get to the grounds if you take go down the hall and take the staircase to the right.”

“Thanks,” Niles said, scooping up his bow and shoving his arrows into his quiver.

Niles followed Felicia’s instructions, making his way to the castle grounds. The people he passed on the way paid him no attention. He was half expecting them to throw him against the wall and cuff him, or drag him down to a dungeon.

Niles reached the grounds, glancing around for Leo. It seemed like a few people were having a briefing with Leo, one of whom Niles noticed was a blonde clad in a strangely skimpy outfit, making big wild gestures as he summarized his troops' victory.

“Yes, I was there, Odin, indeed I saw your new tome in action,” Niles heard Leo sigh as he approached. Leo seemed surprised to see Niles for a moment, but the emotion was wiped away just as quickly as it appeared. “Niles,” he greeted. He turned back to a few other generals. “You’re all dismissed,” he said, waving his hand.

“Ah! It seems that Fate has finally allowed us to become acquainted!” shouted the blonde mage, leaping in front of Leo and opening his arms towards Niles. “I feel great power within you! Our Lord has chosen well, Silver-Haired-One-Eyed Warrior!”

“Niles, this is my retainer Odin,” Leo introduced, a tiny smile tugging at his lips at Niles’ bewildered silence.

“Oh, my sincerest apologies!” Odin cried, bowing to Niles. “The Dark Ones were whispering quite loudly and thus I have forgotten my manners. My name is Odin Dark, Hero of the Ages! It is a pleasure to meet you, Niles, o’ Silver-Haired-One-Eyed Warrior!”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Niles responded, slightly amused, despite himself. “The Dark Ones did tell me all about you, after all.”

Odin gasped, a hand to his chest, ecstatic. “I am but truly humbled!”

“Odin, why don’t you go ahead and take your turn in the baths first? You’re dismissed; go and get some well-deserved rest,” Leo said, and Odin grinned at the praise, bowing to Leo.

“Thank you for your generosity, milord!”

“Of course,” Leo said as Odin burst up and away towards the castle. Leo offered Niles a slight smile. “Thank you for that.”

“For what?” Niles asked, not sure that had actually happened.

“You’re the first person besides my younger sister to play along with Odin,” Leo told him. “Admittedly, he’s a bit animated, but he means well.”

“I’ve seen worse; he’s harmless,” Niles agreed honestly, shrugging. He followed Leo as he headed back towards the castle.

“How did you enjoy the last two days?” Leo asked, looking up at Niles. “The castle is rather large, I assume you went exploring.”

“I slept straight through,” Niles said, and to his surprise, Leo chuckled. It was a quiet sound, an unfamiliar sound, and it made Niles’ stomach feel strange.

“I suppose I won’t have to worry about our beds not being comfortable enough, though I could get you a larger one, if you prefer; the one in your quarters now is just temporary,” Leo told him. “You can decorate it as you see fit, of course. Odin’s room is across the hall and mine are--”

“I hate to be rude, Prince Leo _,_ but what’s your angle here?” Niles asked, stopping in his tracks. Leo turned back, his brows furrowing a bit.

“My angle?”

“Why didn’t you kill me?” Niles asked. “I stole from you.”

“Well, technically you didn’t _steal_ anything; you got caught,” Leo corrected.

“Exactly,” Niles said. “I got _caught_ stealing from the royal palace _by_ a royal and instead of an execution, you gave me a _room_. You’ve gotta have an angle. So, let us just skip the preambles, and just tell me what you want from me. If you’re looking for a criminal, none of us go by names in the slums, so I can’t really help you there--”

Leo held up his hand, chuckling. “Niles, I don’t have an angle,” Leo told him.

Niles hardened his gaze. “Then why am I alive?”

“Because I think you deserve to live,” Leo said simply.

“Excuse my language, but you don’t know a goddamn thing about me,” Niles told him as a matter of fact, expecting to be smite on the spot. But Leo just lifted his shoulders in a light shrug.

“I know a good man when I see one.”

“You obviously haven’t left the castle very much.”

“Well, in that case, I supposed you’ll have to show me around,” Leo said, and then sighed when Niles didn’t react. “Alright, then. Level with me, Niles. What is it that you’re expecting me to say?”

Niles shook his head, chewing on his lip for a second. “I don’t even know,” he said. “But I haven’t heard of anyone like me being kept in this castle for a good reason.”

“You should understand by now that you’re not my prisoner, Niles. If you want to leave, you’re more than welcome to do so.”

“But if I stay, I’m your _retainer_ ,” Niles said, repeating the word he heard Felicia use.

“Well, I meant to have this conversation with you in a more official manner, but yes, essentially, you would be one of my personal retainers,” Leo said, realizing that someone must have told Niles about it. “A retainer isn’t a prisoner. You would be hired on into my court so that we may assist and protect each other both on and off the battlefield.”

“What could you possibly gain by hiring someone like me to be your retainer?” Niles asked skeptically, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m sure your lovely siblings don’t have criminals protecting them, and neither would they approve of the likes of me protecting you.”

“Actually, one of my elder sister’s retainers was contracted to assassinate her,” Leo told him as a matter of fact. “It runs in the family, I suppose. But regardless, I don’t care what the rest of the court thinks of me.”

“Oh, how edgy,” Niles commented, rolling his eye as Leo chuckled.

“Should you decide to stay here with me, we can help each other. We will both benefit,” Leo told him. “You’ll have a place to stay and work. You’ll get paid as my retainer, of course. And for as long as you’re with me, you won’t ever have to return to the slums or see those people who betrayed you ever again. I can promise you that.”

“And how would you benefit?”

“Well, each of the us siblings are allowed two high retainers,” Leo explained, holding up the appropriate amount of fingers. “These are the people we trust the most and depend on with our lives. All my siblings have their two. I haven’t had retainers for some time, until I met Odin; he’s been my only retainer for some time now. You would be my second and my last.”

Second and last? Niles took a breath. He knew better than to believe the words of a royal. He had been taught never to trust anyone, especially not someone like Leo, who’s cushy life was too good and too perfect for scum like Niles.

He clenched his teeth, his blue eye meeting Leo’s. “You would really trust such a position to a worthless sewer rat like me?” Leo stared at him for a few seconds before narrowing his eyes.

“You listen to me very closely, Niles,” Leo bit off as his gaze hardened and Niles resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Here it was. Here was the hypocrisy, here was when the facade of the doe-eyed prince would fade away and unleash the snake that lurked within.

“First of all, of course I already trust you, so stop being ridiculous,” Leo said curtly, much to Niles’ surprise. “Second of all, I don’t ever want to hear you calling yourself a ‘worthless sewer rat’ ever again. Third of all, if I _ever_ meet the scum who have made you believe to your core that your life is not worth keeping, I will surely and _violently_ erase them from the face of this earth. For you to have such a deep seeded belief about your own life is unacceptable, but perhaps if you stay here...” he paused for a second and sighed a bit. “You asked what I want, correct? I just want you to find something that is worth living for. But to do that, you’ll need to live.”

Niles stared at Leo for what felt like a long time. He searched Leo’s features for something, anything that would let him know that the prince was nothing more than a bougie little brat with Niles as his new toy. But for the first time since he could remember, Niles didn’t find any trace of insincerity. All he saw in front of him was a man who had shown a thief from the slums a bit of kindness. That had to be worth protecting, right?

“Well, you saved my life,” Niles said, nodding. Maybe this kid was for real. Either way, Niles knew he had been defeated. There was no use denying that fact. “So, my life is yours, milord.”

Leo seemed surprised, his violet eyes lighting up as he offered Niles a small smile. “And mine is yours.”


	2. Chapter 2

“I think it’s about time I introduce you to my family,” Leo said about two weeks later, after Niles had met him at his quarters down the hall. He’d spent the last two weeks mostly with Leo, and wandered around the castle in his spare time. Leo had sent him on a small recon mission, which Niles had, of course, succeeded at. But now he was back with Leo in the castle.

Niles purposely avoided coming into contact with any of the other royal family while they were home, which surprisingly, wasn’t very often. Xander was often in and out of various meetings and away on trips. Camilla indulged her lazy side often and stayed in her room, reading with wine, or stayed in the dining room, reading with wine. Elise was either playing with the maids or being forced to train by her retainers. Niles didn’t particularly want anything to do with them; he didn’t want to meet any more royals, but he knew the time would come eventually.

“At least buy me dinner first, milord,” Niles teased as Leo adjusted his collar in the mirror, rolling his eyes playfully. “Where’s the Dark Flame Master?”

“Odin? I gave him the afternoon off, so he’s probably with my younger sister, playing hide and seek or something,” Leo said with a shrug.

“Oh, is  _ that _ what it’s called?” Niles asked suggestively, receiving another eye roll from Leo. “If that’s the case, would you be so kind as to let me take the day off to play hide and seek with your older sister?”

Leo laughed again, shaking his head. “My older sister would devour you,” he told Niles as a matter of fact.

“Ah, you underestimate me,” Niles teased, licking his lips as Leo laughed. “You know something milord, I never struck you as the laughing type.”

“What do you mean?” Leo asked, still fiddling with his collar. Niles stepped forward and turned Leo slightly, prying the young prince’s fingers off the stubborn fabric so Niles could fix it himself. Leo noticed that Niles’ fingers were a bit calloused, but his touch was gentle.

“In the slums, all of the things I heard about you were pretty gruesome. You seemed like a pretty terrifying guy,” Niles told him honestly. Leo noticed that Niles’ eyelashes matched his silver hair. “Never thought you’d be the type to laugh at my crass sense of humor.”

“Well, if something is funny, I’ll laugh,” Leo said flatly. “I may be a prince, but I’m still human, you know.”

“Good to know,” Niles said, finishing Leo’s collar. Niles recoiled a bit when he noticed Leo intensely staring at him. “Is there something on my face, milord?”

“Who did that?” Leo asked, nodding. Niles knew Leo was referring to his eye.

“No one you need to concern yourself with, milord,” Niles said with a smile. 

“But I have your permission to kill this person, should I ever decide to  _ concern  _ myself?” Leo asked bluntly. 

“You don’t need to ask for my permission,” Niles said with a chuckle. “But in any case, it happened a long time ago; I’ve long since stopped needing it, so again, no need to fret. I’m still a pretty good shot.”

“May I ask what happened?” 

“You may.”

“Will you tell me?”

Niles pressed his lips together, swallowing a lump in his throat. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, instead offering his lord a small smile. “Eventually, I would like to,” Niles said quietly. “But not today, if that is alright.”

“Of course. I won’t press it further,” Leo said with a nod and Niles felt himself relax a little. He turned on his heel to leave and then paused at the door, not looking back. “Niles,” he said, and Niles looked up. “If ever there is a time that you are feeling particularly vengeful and wish to deliver divine retribution to those who have hurt you, feel no hesitation to take me with you. I will gladly kill anyone who has ever laid hands on you.”

“I don’t deserve you,” Niles said honestly, gratefully, and Leo chuckled again. 

“Come now, let’s go meet my family.”

 

\---

 

Niles had to admit that he was a little nervous. He’d never particularly been fond of royalty, and even on the rare occasions they did venture out into the town, he made sure to stay out of their way. He’d gotten glimpses of Xander a few times before he would march, and Camilla, too, as she flew over the city with her army of Wyvern Lords and Malig Knights. He could have sworn that he’d seen the young princess Elise at least one time in the underground tunnel in the slums, but he wasn’t about to mention that to anyone. 

He was a thief, born in the slums, meant to die in the slums, but Leo had shown him kindness and even brought him into the court. Niles knew he didn’t belong here, even amongst the other retainers, let alone with Leo’s siblings. Meeting them in this capacity -- as protected as he was being with Leo -- was still a little daunting. 

“Sister,” Leo greeted, and Niles looked up to see a mass of black and lavender -- all hair and body. He’d never been this close to Camilla before and while he did think her quite beautiful -- probably the most beautiful woman he had and ever will see in this lifetime -- her mere presence was overpowering. She oozed a thick aura death and destruction, even with a smile on her face. Perhaps Leo was right; she would definitely devour him.

Beside Camilla were girls that Niles could only assume were Camilla’s retainers, a small blue haired woman in black and a red head with the longest pigtails he’d ever seen. The red head crossed her arms over her chest and fired a nasty glare Niles’ way, but he just smiled in return.

“Oh, good morning, my favorite baby brother,” Camilla greeted with a smile, dragging Leo into a tight embrace. “And who is this?” she asked, looking at Niles.

“I wanted to introduce you to Niles, my new retainer,” Leo choked out, prying himself out of Camilla’s iron grasp. 

Camilla smiled and gasped. “It’s about time,” she said, patting Leo on the head. “I thought you would never get another retainer. I was starting to become worried.” Camilla turned to Niles, smiling as she closed the distance between them so that Niles could see the deep violet of her one visible eye. “ _ You _ . I did hear the maids gossiping about you. You’re a thief, though, aren’t you?”

Leo inhaled sharply. “Sister--”

“Yes, milady,” Niles said, holding his ground.

“And you attempted to steal from my baby brother?”

“And failed, of course,” he added with a smile.

“So, you’re a thief who’s  _ bad  _ at stealing,” Camilla said, feigning disappointment. She tapped her lips, frowning at Niles though Niles sensed no feeling of sadness. “I’m not sure my brother should keep your in his service, you being a  _ failure _ and all.”

“Camilla,” Leo started again.

“With all due respect, I’m not sure you get to have an opinion on the matter, milady,” Niles said. “Especially when in your service, you’ve an assassin that failed to assassinate you.”

Camilla blinked a few times, stunned, and Niles could only assume it was because no one spoke to her that way. Then, much to everyone’s surprise, she burst out laughing, swatting Niles on the shoulder. “You’ve a brave little mouth on you, don’t you?” she laughed, and turned her attention back to Leo. “I like him. Take care of him.”

And with that she sauntered down the hallway, her two retainers following. The red head shot one last glare at Niles before she rounded the corner before disappearing, and Niles let out a breath of relief. 

“Chewed up and spit out,” he mumbled to Leo, who chuckled.

“That was quite a feat, speaking to my sister that way,” Leo commented as they headed downstairs. “But I’m glad you did. It showed your tenacity and because of it my sister supports you as my retainer. Well done.”

“Ah, so I should just mouth off to all the court who disapproves of me?” Niles teased. “Excellent strategy, milord, I shall be the most tenacious version of myself.”

“Just behave and don’t make any unnecessary enemies in the court,” Leo chuckled. 

“I thought you didn’t care what the court thought of you,” Niles mused.

“I don’t,” Leo confirmed as they approached the dining room. “I care about what they think of you.”

“Ah, sorry, excuse me,” said a voice and Leo and Niles turned to see a young grey haired man in blue running towards them, out of breath. He stopped short of Leo, grinning. “Sorry, I’m running a bit late, if you would please do me the favor of letting me meet Xan--I mean, Lord Xander, first in the dining hall this morning so it doesn’t look too bad on my part.”

“It can’t look any worse,” Leo said flatly. Leo rolled his eyes, flicking his wrist. “Go on then, Laslow.”

Laslow straightened out as best he could, fixing his collar and shirt, adjusting his belt, before pushing open the dining room doors. Leo sighed, turning back to Niles. “My older brother’s retainer. Probably stayed out too late at the pubs last night hitting on women.”

Leo pushed the doors open, and Laslow was already at Xander’s side, seeming to be explaining why he was late yet again, meanwhile Peri was nowhere in sight. Xander looked up at the sound of the clinking of Leo’s armor and held up his hand to Laslow.

“Laslow, it’s fine, go get something to eat, and we can go to the field afterwards,” he said standing as Leo approached. “Good morning, Leo,” he greeted.

“Morning, brother,” Leo said, Niles noticing that Leo was standing up as tall as ever. “I wanted to introduce you to my new retainer, Niles.”

“Ah, yes, I apologize for not having been able to meet you sooner, I have been busy with the war council and training Kamui back at the fortress,” Xander said, looking to Niles. “I heard you’re a thief,” he said. Niles felt his blood chill; everyone in this damn family had such an intense presence. 

“I actually prefer ‘outlaw’, milord. Much cooler title,” Niles said with a smile and he could feel Leo’s pressing gaze.

Xander actually let out a chuckle and Niles could practically hear Leo’s internal sigh of relief. “Well, Leo knows what’s best for himself; if he’s chosen you, I am sure he’s chosen well.”

“It’s an honor, milord,” Niles responded with a bow of his head.

“Well, I’d like to stay and chat but I do have to head out to the field,” Xander said, gathering his things as a few maids cleared his table. 

“Are you heading out to spar?” Leo asked.

“Laslow needs some practice,” Xander said, looking at back at his retainer who grinned sheepishly in response as he shoved his face with biscuits. “But as do I. Kamui almost bested me yesterday evening. Would you and Niles like to join us?”

Niles opened his mouth but Leo beat him to it. “Yes, I think we will,” he said, looking back to Niles, who did his best not to look apprehensive of the whole idea of sparring against the royal family. He grinned at Niles. “I actually haven’t tested out his combat skills yet.”

“I can assure you I’m the best shot for miles around,” Niles said. He tapped his eye patch. “With only one eye, too.”

“You’ll just have to prove it, then,” Leo challenged, a glint in his eyes. 

“As you wish, milord,” Niles said graciously.

“Shall we, then?” Xander invited, turning back to Laslow for a moment. “Las, five minutes.”

“Yes, I’ll be right down,” Laslow said, crumbs flying from his mouth as he attempted to eat and fix his armor at the same time. 

Xander sighed and lead Leo and Niles out of the dining room, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Laslow out on the town late last night again?” Leo asked, flanking his brother as Niles followed behind.

“Hm? Oh, yes, probably. You know how he is,” Xander said vaguely, shaking his head.

“Where’s Peri? Will she be joining us to spar?” Leo asked, noticing that his brother’s other retainer was nowhere in sight.

“She returned from a mission early this morning and reported to me. After being dismissed, she disappeared, so I haven’t the slightest idea where she ran off to. But I assume she’s blowing off some steam, stabbing someone, somewhere,” Xander sighed. “I sure do know how to pick them, don’t I?”

“Runs in the family,” Leo said gently, chuckling. 

“In the past, it’s generally why we weren’t allowed to pick our own retainers,” Xander explained, also turning back to Niles and offering him a slight smile. “But when you find someone you can trust with your life and more, you feel it in your bones. You can’t ever go wrong with a gut feeling.”

“Agreed, milord,” Niles said, returning Xander’s smile. 

“Niles, would you like to go to the armory first and pick out something else for our match?” Leo asked as they reached the castle grounds, picking at the fabric on Niles’ cloak. “You’ll be sparring with me, and you might need something a little more resistant to magic.”

“I’ve had my share of being on the receiving end of some pretty terrible magic, so I’m fairly magic resistant as I am,” Niles said with a shrug. “You did want me to prove my strength, right, milord?”

Leo smirked. “Of course.”

They reached the sparring grounds, a small field of varying terrain ranging from sand, to concrete, to grass, and Niles let out a breath, rolling his shoulders back. He did fancy himself quite nimble and a true shot, but that was just amongst thieves. 

“Relax,” Leo said with a small laugh. “It’s just me.”

“Forgive me for being apprehensive; we’ve barely known each other two weeks, milord,” Niles said, reaching for his bow and twanging the string. “I’ve never gone to battle against a royal.”

“As if I would be any tougher than what you’ve had to experience in the slums,” Leo said, patting Niles on the shoulder. “We’ll do a five minute round. Shoot to kill and show off a little. Prove to me you’re the best damn shot in the country.”

“Cute. You want me to impress your brother, don’t you, milord?” Niles teased.

“I want you to impress  _ me _ ,” Leo corrected. “And it wouldn’t hurt to impress Xander as well.”

Niles laughed, nodding as he pulled off his bow from his back, adjusting the strap of his quiver. He rolled his shoulders back and moved into position, his fingers brushing against the fletchlings of his arrows. “I’ll do my best.”

“Then I won’t hold back,” Leo warned him, opening Brynhildr. The air crackled with magic and Niles back hopped and rolled as thick vines exploded from the earth in front of him. He quickly nocked two arrows and fired in Leo’s direction, but Leo burst up a wall of vines in front of him to block it.

Niles rolled and fired two more arrows where Leo was unguarded, Leo needing to throw one hand up to summon a vine to absorb the attack. He shut Brynhildr and called another tome, sending bursts of flame Niles’ way. Niles easily dodged them all, the fire exploding in the sand and shot another arrow that Leo disintegrated in midair.

Niles charged Leo, taking him by surprise and Leo back hopped, firing balls of purple flame at Niles, who ducked out of the way and returned three arrows. Leo waved a hand and burned two, dodging the third and countering with a large burst of flame to where Niles had been. He’d missed and in the dust, glanced around for the archer, noticing him only a few hops away, nocking more arrows and letting them fly. Leo burned them all and countered quickly, Niles throwing up his cape around him as the flames connected, sending him hurtling backwards over the sand. He quickly rose to his feet and shot more arrows, and Leo called on Brynhildr,  raising a protective wave of vines to shield him from Niles’ onslaught of arrows. 

The ground beneath Niles began to rumble and he rolled and dodged as vines exploded from the earth, countering with more arrows as the vines twisted around him. He side stepped and glanced back to where Leo was, pulling an arrow from his quiver. He took aim and was about to fire when a vine appeared under his foot and tripped him. Niles held onto the arrow as he fell and fired, Leo’s eyes widening as he needed to quickly dodge to avoid the shot. A thin rivulet of blood trickled down his cheek.

“And that’s time,” Xander announced, the vines receding back into the ground as Niles sat up, dusting off his cloak. He let out a breath, thoroughly exhausted. Fighting one on one against a royal, especially a mage of Leo’s caliber -- was no joke. He looked up to see Leo holding his hand out. Leo pulled Niles to his feet and Niles frowned.

“Sorry,” he said, digging in his pocket to pull out a handkerchief. He wiped the blood from Leo’s face.

“It’s fine,” Leo assured him, waving him off. “You disobeyed my orders, Niles.”

Niles felt his stomach tighten. “I--”

“I thought I told you to shoot to kill,” Leo said teasingly, brushing the back of his hand against his cheek, to wipe away excess blood. “You missed on purpose.”

Niles felt a wave of relief wash over him. “Neither of us would benefit if you were dead, milord,” he said with a grin.

“You’re a damn good shot,” Leo complimented.

“Best in the country?”

“The only archer whose arrows ever wounded me,” Leo said. 

“Best in country,” Niles confirmed with a grin and a nod as they headed to the sidelines, Xander and Laslow getting ready to spar next. 

“That was a good match,” Xander said to Niles. “You’re very agile, I’m impressed. My brother has chosen well.”

“You’re too kind, milord,” Niles said, noticing the small smile on Leo’s lips as he passed. 

“Good match,” Laslow commented with a grin, adjusting his shoulder armor. “We should spar sometime; see if you could keep up with me.”

“It would be the other way around, Las,” Xander said as he swept past him to the field. Laslow grinned sheepishly, waving slightly as he followed Xander to the field.

Niles strapped his bow onto his back as he followed Leo to the sidelines to watch Xander and Laslow fight. Niles was impressed; Xander’s retainer certainly didn’t look or act the part, but he was a damn good fighter. It was obvious that Laslow lacked Xander’s overwhelming strength and skill with the sword, but he made up for it by being extremely nimble and quick, parrying every one of Xander’s strikes with two more. Even though they were using dulled sparring blades, sparks still exploded with every strike.

The match ended with Laslow in the dirt and Xander’s blade as his throat. Laslow grinned and Xander moved his blade aside. He held his hand out to Laslow and lifted him up in one swift movement. Laslow dusted himself off as he headed back to where Niles and Leo were.

“Bested me again, milord,” Laslow said with a grin.

“Rest up, we’ll go again in a bit,” Xander advised and Laslow plopped himself against a tree. He turned to Leo and Niles. “Leo, could you do me a favor and check on Elise? She was supposed to be training with Arthur, and she’s to meet up with Felicia to learn a bit more healing before she is due back at the northern fortress.”

“Of course,” Leo said. “Are you to be heading to the fortress tomorrow with Felicia?”

Xander nodded. “Yes, but I was actually hoping that you could go in my stead. With Odin and Niles, of course.”

“I can introduce you to my other sister,” Leo said to Niles.

“Ah, yes, I’m sure Kamui would love you,” Xander said with a small chuckle. 

“I’ll go and find Elise,” Leo said. “Let me know if you need help with anything else, Xander.”

Xander nodded and Leo and Niles away from the field.

“I didn’t know you had another sister,” Niles said. “I thought there were only four in the royal family.”

“It’s complicated. Kamui isn’t related to us by blood, but we all grew up alongside her; she is like a sister to me. But Father keeps her confined in the northern fortress ‘for her protection’,” Leo said, using air quotes. “If protection were an issue, she would be much more protected if she lived in the castle here with us but I am not going to be the one to argue with our father.”

“Nice of you to visit.”

“She is my sister, after all. I try to go as much as I can,” Leo said. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. I’m sure it’s been an overwhelming past few days and the last thing I want to do is stress you out.”

“You’re very thoughtful, milord, but I wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to meet another princess,” Niles said with a chuckle. 

“Ah, yes, you can woo my sister with your  _ tenacity _ ,” Leo teased. “Don’t worry, Niles, Kamui will love you.”

“You’re very intent on having your siblings approve of me,” Niles noticed, seeing a tiny figure in the distance whom he assumed was Elise. “Are you sure you’re not courting me?”

Leo scoffed, waving him off. “If I were courting you, Niles, you’d know it.”

Niles chuckled in response. “Noted,” he teased as they approached Elise.

Leo smiled upon seeing his sister. Niles wondered how all of that hair was attached to such a small girl. “Elise, I wanted to--”

“Ugh, I said I don’t want to do this anymore, Arthur!” she huffed, stamping her foot. Niles noticed a bow in her hand and a target a ways off, scattered arrows on the ground, all having missed their mark by a longshot.

“B-but milady, your father instructed you practice to develop patience,” said a large blonde man with the squarest jaw Niles had ever seen. 

“Well, aren’t there other ways of learning patience? Tell him, Leo!” Elise said, pointing at Leo and then back to Arthur. Her eyes lit up when she saw Niles. “Oh, hello!” she greeted, dropping her bow and bounding over to Niles. She held out her hand. “I’m Elise! And you’re my big brother’s new retainer!”

Niles noticed Arthur frown deeply as he made his way to her side. Niles ignored it and smiled. “I’m Niles, it’s very nice to meet you,” he said, taking her hand. He gripped hard, matching her strength. “You’ve a robust handshake, milady.”

Elise grinned at the compliment, hands on her hips. “See Arthur? Someone appreciates my handshakes,” she teased, sticking her tongue out at him. “Oh, Niles, this is my retainer, Arthur!”

“Pleasure,” Niles said, but neither of them made a move to shake hands. 

“I thought you were with Odin this morning, Elise, where did he go?” Leo asked, noticing that his other retainer was nowhere in sight. 

“It’s his turn to hide,” Elise said with a grin. Leo just sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Anyway, what are you guys up to? Can I come too?”

“Lady Elise, it is important that we finish here before meeting with Felicia,” Arthur advised, picking up her bow and handing it back to her. “Your father instructed that you at least hit one arrow within the red,” he added, gesturing back to the three inner rings within the target.

“Yeah, but I’ve shot like eighty arrows and nothing hit, and we’ve been doing this all morning,” Elise said with a frown. “I’m just not good at this stuff.”

“It’s not about skill, milady, it is about patience and concentration,” Arthur said. “If you land one shot, I promise we may go back to playing hide and seek with Odin and then we can find Felicia as well.”

“Leo, I wanna hang out with you guys,” Elise pouted and Leo opened his mouth to object, but Niles beat him to it.

“How about you shoot one arrow for us, Lady Elise?” Niles asked with a smile, and Leo looked up at him, a bit confused. 

Elise sighed and grabbed the bow from Arthur, taking her position. She took a breath, paused, nocked an arrow and fired, the arrow falling on the grass a short ways from the target. She frowned and sighed. “See? I can’t do it. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“Perhaps we should get you a bigger bow to help you balance, milady,” Arthur suggested and Niles shook his head. 

“If you’ll excuse me, the size of the bow is not the problem,” Niles said, moving next to Elise. He held out his hand. “If I may.”

Elise handed Niles her bow and he gestured to his feet. “This is an open stance,” he told her, his feet shoulder width apart, hips angled towards the target. “Based on that last shot you did, this is the stance you need to assume because your shot deviates. Now, you can bend your knees slightly to handle recoil, and you can raise the bow straight out in front of you and nock an arrow like this,” he said, demonstrating. “Pull all the way back, til the bowstring is touching your nose, and the feather is against your cheek.” He turned his face forward. “Then look at the target, focus, hold your breath. Think about where you want the arrow to go.” 

“Once you know where you want your arrow to go, you don’t even have to look at the target,” Niles said as he turned to look at Elise and smiled, eye off the target, letting the arrow fly. The arrow flew straight in the bullseye and Elise gasped, clapping her hands.

“Wow! Niles, that was so cool!” she praised, jumping up and down. “Can I try?”

“Of course,” Niles said, handing the bow back to Elise. She took a stance and Niles nudged her front foot out to take the open stance. “Straight in front of you,” he advised, lifting the bow slightly. “Chin up,” he said, using a finger to lift her chin. 

“Bowstring on nose,” she said quietly, pulling the bowstring back, making sure that the fletchling was touching her cheek. Niles stood behind her and squinted his eye a bit, then gently adjusted her elbow down to straighten the shot. 

“Now, think about where you want the arrow to go. Hold your breath, and release.”

She nodded slightly, not wanting to ruin her stance. She stared at the target hard, breathed in slow and held her breath, releasing the arrow. The arrow flew through the air and pierced through the third ring on the bullseye. “Yay!” she cheered, jumping up and down. “I did it!”

“See? You just needed to be patient, milady,” Niles said with a smile.

Elise grinned in response. “Can you come practice with me later, Niles? In return, I can teach you some magic!”

“If milord will permit it,” Niles said.

“Leo!” Elise said, looking to her brother.

Leo sighed. “You’ve already taken to borrowing Odin, why not take Niles too,” he replied sarcastically, waving his hand as Elise grinned.

“Tomorrow, let’s practice tomorrow,” Elise suggested excitedly.

“Tomorrow, Niles, Odin and I will be going to see Kamui,” Leo told her. “If you’re not required here, you’re more than welcome to come with us--”

“I want to come!” Elise said immediately, looking to Arthur. “Let’s go see my big sister!”

“Arthur, is Elise’s schedule cleared for tomorrow?” Leo asked.

“I’ll be sure it will be, Lord Leo,” Arthur said with a grin. 

“Good, we’ll leave at first light, make sure she’s packed and ready,” Leo said, and then turned back to Niles. “Come, I’ll show you around the rest of the castle.”

“Bye-bye Niles! See you tomorrow!” Elise said brightly, waving as they left. Niles just smiled and followed Leo.

“I didn’t know you were a classically trained archer,” Leo said as they walked. 

Niles laughed, shaking his head. “I’m not,” he said with a grin. “But if there’s one thing I am good at, it’s faking it,” he added with a wink.

Leo laughed again. “Ah, I’m sure you are the expert.”

“Lord Leo, did you just make a sexual joke?” Niles asked, pretending to be aghast. “It seems after only a few days together, I have corrupted you with my streetrat ways. Are you sure I’m fit to be your retainer?”

“Of course, and now you have the support of my siblings.”

“I did notice you were trying to win their favor, and I was wondering why.”

“Because with my siblings as our allies, especially Xander, Father cannot have you forcibly dismissed from my service for being a thief,” Leo said simply. He paused in his step and turned to Niles. “It was very important to me that you gain all their favors, and you did, so thank you very much, Niles. I apologize for not sharing with you the real reason I wished to introduce you to them and I hope you did not feel like I paraded you around. I just wanted to ensure that you would be able to remain in my service if Father ever expressed an objection.”

Niles chuckled, shaking his head again. “There’s no need to thank me or apologize, milord.”

“But I feel like I’ve mislead you.”

“You are the first person in my life that has done nothing of the sort,” he assured Leo. “But I am glad that I was able to leave a good impression on your family.”

“Yes, you’ve impressed all of my siblings, though I think perhaps you may have impressed Elise a little too much,” he said with a laugh. 

“Strangely enough, she has an innocence I don’t find nauseating,” Niles said. “She’s a nice girl; if I had a family, I would like a little sister like her. How old is Lady Elise, anyway, milord? Twelve?”

Leo stifled his laugh. “She’s seventeen next month, Niles.”

His eyes widened. “You’re joking.”

“No, it’s true. Elise is only a few years younger than I,” Leo said as a matter of fact. 

Niles rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Ugh, you royals and your terribly good genes; at this rate, you’ll all look twelve for the next hundred years.”

“How old are you anyway, Niles?”

“Don’t know for certain,” he said with a shrug. “But if I had to make an educated guess, I’d say somewhere around twenty four, milord.”

“Oh,” Leo said, sounding a bit surprised. “You’re older than me.”

“Give or take four years, right?” Niles asked, Leo blinking a few times in confusion. “You and your siblings have extravagant birthday parties,” he reminded Leo, trying to take the bitterness out from his voice. “And a good amount of those supplies are from the town, of course. Last year, my  _ associates  _ and I overtook a caravan heading back to the palace for your nineteenth birthday and feasted for days.”

“Ah, yes, I remember that,” Leo said, nodding as he recalled the memory. “So, I guess that means technically, you haven’t failed from stealing from me; you’ve done it before, just not in my presence.”

“Technically, yes, I suppose,” Niles agreed with a chuckle. 

“It’s all in the past,” Leo said with a shrug. “This is our present. The castle grounds are fairly large, if you ever get bored, you’re more than welcome to explore. My retainers should know the castle from top to bottom.”

“May I ask you something, milord?”

“Anything,” Leo encouraged with a nod, they paused by the stables.

“Yesterday, you said I would be your second and last retainer,” Niles recalled, watching Leo’s reaction carefully. “And this morning, your sister said she was glad you found a new retainer, as she’d begun to worry you never would. May I ask what happened to the retainer before me?”

“She died,” Leo said simply, quietly, a far-off look in his eyes. “It was a while ago,” he added. “But it’s not easy to lose a retainer. They’re people who put their lives down on the line for you but when a life is actually lost -- well, it was a feeling I never wanted to experience again. I hadn’t had a retainer for years. So, when met Odin and and he was brought him into my service -- I admit it took some getting used to -- but I promised that never again will I ever let a retainer give their life for me. I make you the same promise, of course.”

“It’s an honor,” Niles said.

Leo chuckled, waving him off. “Nothing to be honored about, Niles. Now come, we’ve a lot more ground to cover.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the confusion. Moved the XanLas chapter to it's own separate story! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Niles yawned as he made his way up the stairs. It was still dark out, but it was always dark in Nohr. He’d spent the entire day yesterday with Leo, and he was still exhausted. Just being present in the royal castle was admittedly a bit overwhelming; it was definitely an atmosphere he wasn’t used to. He could eat all he wanted, he could bathe in hot water, and sleep in a warm bed without worrying that he’d be killed in his sleep.

But with the pros, of course, came the cons. No one else in the castle besides Felicia, Odin, Elise, and Laslow made an effort to interact with him when they saw him. He shared casual conversations with Camilla and Xander, when he did see them, but the wait staff, and other members of the court seemed particularly uneasy around him. Niles understood, of course, that a person from his background would be highly suspicious, but it was still annoying nonetheless. He thought in the weeks he’d been here, he’d at least started to prove his loyalty to Leo. It seemed he was wrong.

Niles sighed, rolling his shoulders back as he adjusted the small knapsack he carried, heading to Leo’s room. He was definitely not a morning person.

“Good morning, comrade! Welcome with me the dawn of a splendid new day!” greeted a bright voice and Niles looked up to see Odin grinning at him. Of course Odin was a morning person. He had a giant bag slung over his shoulder.

“Ah, good morning, Odin,” Niles greeted with a small wave. “What’s with the bag?”

“Oh, when we venture to the northern fortress, we usually stay over for at least a night! It makes Princess Kamui happy to have visitors, so Lord Leo likes to stay for a few days. I have brought with me a few books for Princess Kamui,” Odin said, nodding and patting his bag. “Are you ready to meet Princess Kamui?” he asked excitedly as he flanked Niles on their way to Leo’s room.

“I suppose,” Niles said with a shrug. “I’m not accustomed to meeting royalty.”

“But Lady Elise said she loved you!” Odin said brightly, patting him on the shoulder with a grin. “You’re doing fine, Niles.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Niles said, shrugging off Odin’s hand.

“It is but a shame that Princess Kamui does not live in the castle with everyone,” Odin said. “She is a wonderful person! I am sure you will get along famously! Princess Kamui is beautiful and smart, and she is very strong -- she often spars with Lord Xander! -- and she is funny and kind--”

“Now, Odin, keep prattling on about my sister that way and I’ll assume that you’re looking to court her,” Leo said, rounding the corner with a smirk on his face. He was fully dressed in his armor with a bag over his shoulder.

Odin threw up his hands and waved them erratically. “O-of course not, milord! I just have the utmost respect towards Princess Kamui!”

“I was joking, Odin,” Leo teased. “We’re meeting Felicia, Elise, Arthur and Effie down at the stables in a few minutes; we’ll eat a bit on the road and be at the fortress for lunch with my sister. Is that alright?”

“Of course, milord,” Niles and Odin answered together. They walked in peaceful silence to the dining hall, where Elise was slouched over her oatmeal, Arthur finishing up her hair.

“Good morning, Elise,” Leo greeted, Elise looking up from her bowl.

She smiled brightly upon seeing her brother. “Leo! Odin! Niles! Good morning,” she greeted, bouncing in her seat.

“Ah, good morning, good sirs!” Arthur echoed with a nod, tying the last bow on Elise’s hair.

“Where’s Effie?” Leo asked, glancing around to see that the general was nowhere in sight.

“She’s preparing our horses,” Elise said. “You know how strong Effie is, she can carry all our bags down in one trip! She and Felicia are making sure everything is ready for us to go see Kamui!”

“Great,” Leo said. “Let’s pack up some food and meet Effie downstairs.”

Niles and Odin did as they were told, packing some bread and cheese into baskets before meeting down at the stables. The horses were thick and strong, several bags loaded onto each of them. Odin went straight to a beautiful white steed, grinning as she seemed to recognize him, whinnying excitedly. Arthur was helping Elise take her horse from the stable.

Niles took a breath. He didn’t ride horses, ever. Horses actually kind of made Niles uneasy; he was often told that horses could sense a person’s true nature and Niles didn’t want to go out of his way to be read by an animal that could kick him to death. But he wasn’t about to complain about that to Leo.

“Niles, are you alright?” Leo asked as though reading his mind.

“Of course, milord,” Niles answered, glancing around at the horses.

“You’ve ridden a horse before, right?” Leo asked, making his way over to one of the stables, a black horse that Niles assumed was Leo’s. He pet the horse fondly and scratched behind her ear, the horse huffing happily.

“Yes, milord. When I was a child. Maybe. For a few seconds.”

Leo laughed, patting Niles on the shoulder. “Did you not think about how we would get to the fortress?”

“I assumed that we would be riding in a caravan, and I would not have to interact with a wild beast,” Niles said with a dry smile. “But it seems I am mistaken.”

“Don’t worry,” Leo assured him. He lead him over to a beautiful chocolate brown horse. “This is Stella,” Leo introduced. “Go ahead, you can pet her,” he encouraged. Niles took a breath and lifted a hand to slowly brush against the top of her head. She huffed a bit and leaned into his touch, Niles letting out a small sigh of relief.

Niles noticed that Stella had a scar over her right eye, that eye a milky white. He smiled at her, pointing to his own eye. “We’re matching,” he told her, and as though Stella understood, she whinnied in response, Niles chuckling.

"I thought you’d like her,” Leo said fondly.

“She’s injured,” Niles said, continuing to pet Stella. “I didn’t know that injured horses were allowed to live, especially in the war times.”

“Stella’s a good steed,” Leo assured him. “I wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her just because she’s a little damaged.”

“She’s beautiful, milord,” Niles said, smiling at Stella.

“Here, let me teach you how to attach the saddle and reins,” Leo said, opening the stable and allowing Niles inside. Once the horses were saddled up and loaded with bags, everyone lead their horses out to the castle grounds.

“Niles, Niles!” Elise called, waving her hands for Niles to come. He lead Stella over to Elise and her elegant ivory horse.

“Yes, milady?”

“Niles, this is my retainer, Effie,” Elise said, gesturing to a woman clad in giant pink armor, standing in a very proper parade rest. She looked extremely petite, dwarfed by the armor. “Effie, this is Niles, Leo’s new retainer!”

“Nice to meet you,” she greeted with a professional nod.

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Niles returned. When no one made a move to say anything else, Niles turned back to Stella. “Alright, then,” he said to her, brushing his hand against her neck. “Don’t throw me off, alright? I’ve never mounted a horse, so bear with me, Stella.”

Elise gasped as Effie hoisted Elise up onto her horse. “You’ve never ridden a horse before, Niles?” she asked, and Niles shook his head.

“Afraid there’s not many to practice on in the slums,” he said.

“Wait, wait, I can teach you!” Elise said with a big smile. She brought her horse over to where Niles was standing on the left. “As payback for teaching me to shoot yesterday!”

“I’d be honored, milady.”

“Okay, reins in left hand! Left foot in left stirrup!” Elise said, pointing as Niles followed her instructions. “Stand on your left foot, and bring your right foot over!”

Niles did as he was told and found himself perched on the saddle, reins in hand. He steadied himself for a moment, finding his balance, and Elise clapped her hands excitedly. “Yay! You did it!”

“Couldn’t have done it without you, milady,” Niles said. Stella trotted forward a little, Niles needing to steady himself a bit more as she flanked Leo, who was already atop his horse.

Leo looked back at Elise. “Ready to go?”

“Ready!” she confirmed, giving him a thumbs up as Effie mounted her horse to follow Elise. Together, they all headed out of the castle, enroute to the northern fortress.

“Are you alright?” Leo asked as Niles stiffy commandeered Stella beside him.

“Yes, milord, just, ah, getting used to riding,” Niles said a bit uneasily. He pet Stella’s mane fondly. “Thank you for not tossing me off, old girl,” he told her.

“She doesn’t usually like people,” Leo admitted. “I was actually a bit worried about pairing you together today. She’s tried to headbutt Odin before, but she seems to love you.”

“That’s good to know,” Niles said with a small smile.

“You’d probably still need a bit of practice before shooting on horseback, though,” Leo mentioned, chuckling at how awkward Niles looked riding. “But if you’d like to practice and learn, she’s yours to do so.”

Niles turned to Leo, eye widening a bit. “Stella is certainly beautiful but I couldn’t possibly ask you for her, milord.”

“You’re not asking, I’m offering,” Leo corrected.

“We’ve known each other a little over two weeks and already you have given me more than I could ever ask for,” Niles said, shaking his head. “I can’t accept a horse as well.”

“Well, think about it,” Leo encouraged with a nod. “We’ll need to travel sometimes, and you would need a good horse you can trust. It would be good to start fostering a relationship as soon as possible.”

“I’ll...think about it, milord,” Niles said with a small nod. “Thank you.”

“Nothing to thank me for,” Leo said, waving him off.

\---

The trek to the northern fortress was a bit longer than Niles anticipated. He’d never traveled for more than hour. He struggled to stay awake at first, but after shoveling some bread and cheese down his throat -- and offering some to Stella, of course -- he was finally feeling better.

“Good Gods, is that where your sister is staying?” Niles asked, gesturing to the stone tower in the distance.

Leo nodded. “Yes, it’s a bit dreary, which is why she loves visitors.”

“Dreary is an understatement,” Niles commented, furrowing his brows. “I don’t mean to offend, milord, but this looks like an institution for lunatics.”

Leo chuckled. “Not offended, of course, but you’re right, it does look a little over the top,” Leo said with a shrug. “However, it’s Father’s orders that she stay here. She’s only allowed to come to main castle for our birthdays, and even then, Father makes a big ordeal about her transportation.”

The drawbridge was lowered with a loud clank as they approached the fortress. Niles followed Leo and Odin across the bridge. Stella huffed underneath him as though she could sense his anxiety.

Niles looked up and around him as they moved towards the castle. The fortress was the largest structure he’d ever seen, gleaming a violent red and orange against the dull grey of the stone. The inside structure was just as impressive, with sharp angles and thin support rails linking it to the fortress around it. Leo halted the horses a bit away from the entrance to the fortress.

“We can dismount here and have the guards take the horses to the stables,” Leo said, hopping off his horse with ease. Everyone else followed in suit, Niles stumbling a bit to balance himself as he clumsily dismounted Stella. He petted her a few times and thanked her before following Leo towards into the fortress.

The decor was much like the royal palace, so Niles wasn’t too surprised upon entering the fortress. A beautiful crystal chandelier hung in the foyer, reflecting red and orange off some of the stained glass windows.

“Leo! Elise!” greeted a voice from above and Niles looked up to see an unfamiliar face. He heard the padding of footsteps as the princess made her way down the stairs. She was clad head to toe in silver armor, an indigo cape billowing behind her. Her milky silver hair was let down almost past her mid back, bangs kept in place with a black headband with a bow. Even from a distance, Niles could see her crimson eyes. She looked nothing like her siblings.

“Big sister!” Elise cried happily, bounding over to Kamui and throwing herself into her arms.

“It’s nice to see you!” Kamui said happily, hugging her sister tightly. She let Elise down and looked to Leo, opening her arms. “It’s good to see you, Leo!” she said, pulling him to a hug.

“You, too, sister,” Leo said with a smiles, hugging her back. He lifted strands of her silver hair. “Your hair’s gotten a lot longer.”

She laughed, shaking out her hair. “Yeah, I should ask Jakob to trim it for me sometime,” she said and then peered over at Niles. “Hi!” she greeted with a smile, holding her hand out for Niles to shake. “I haven’t seen you before. My name is Kamui.”

“Sister, this is my new retainer, Niles,” Leo introduced, Niles noticing the way Kamui smiled warmly upon Leo’s mention of a retainer.

“Pleasure to meet you, milady,” Niles greeted, taking Kamui’s hand and bringing it to press against his lips gently. He was unaware of the frown that pulled at Leo’s lips.

Kamui laughed. “Oh, aren’t you charming? It’s nice to meet you, Niles,” she said with a smile. She clapped her hands together as though remembering something. “Oh! How long will you be staying? I’ll have Jakob set you up with a room right away!”

“We’ll only be staying for a few nights,” Leo told Kamui. “Xander will be arriving in a few days to train you.”

“Sounds great,” Kamui said. “Jakob?” she called, and a butler appeared at her side, nearly materializing out of thin air.

“Yes, milady?” he asked.

“Could you please help set up a room for Niles after lunch?” she asked, gesturing to Niles.

Jakob didn’t even bother to look at Niles. “The only available room in the fortress at this time is the one across from your quarters, milady. Perhaps we can move some things around, and--”

“Oh, that’s totally fine,” Kamui said, waving him off. She looked to Niles with a smile. “Unless you’d like us to move things around? Leo’s room is in the east wing, but if you’d like, I can work on clearing up some of the rooms if you’d like to be stationed closer to him.”

“Whatever is easiest for you, sister,” Leo answered for Niles.

“The room across mine is pretty big, if you don’t mind staying there,” Kamui told Niles. “The next time you come, I’ll clear up some rooms in the east wing for you so you can be with Leo and Odin.”

NIles nodded. “That’s very generous of you, thank you, milady.”

“It’s settled,” Kamui said, clapping her hands together. “Now, Flora’s prepared a feast for lunch, so we can get everyone settled and we’ll meet in the dining hall in fifteen minutes. Niles, if you could follow me, please, I’ll take you to your room.”

Niles looked to Leo, who nodded towards Kamui. He followed her while everyone else headed in the opposite direction, to the west wing, Niles assumed.

“Jakob, could you help Flora in the dining room, I’ll show Niles to his room,” Kamui told her butler.

“Milady, I can accompany you to the east wing,” Jakob offered, his eyes flicking over Niles for a second. Niles resisted the urge to roll his eye.

Kamui smiled and laughed, waving him off. “It’s no problem, Jakob, I think Flora needs more of your help right now than I,” she said. “We’ll be back in fifteen.”

Jakob pressed his lips together in a tight line, shooting a glare at Niles that Kamui didn’t see. Niles did roll his eye that time. “Of course, milady,” he said, and swept off for the kitchen. Kamui looked back to Niles, waiting for Jakob to disappear down the staircase before speaking.

“Please don’t mind him, he just gets overwhelmed sometimes when visitors come,” she said, waiting for a moment so that she and Niles could walk side by side. “He dotes on me a lot, and because of that, he’s sometimes cruel to others, but know he means well.”

“I’m sure,” Niles scoffed.

“How are you liking being with Leo?” Kamui asked.

Niles chuckled. “I’ve only been employed for about two weeks, milady.”

“And?”

Niles paused for a moment and nodded slightly. “It’s been the best two weeks of my life,” he told her, eliciting a bright smile from the princess.

“Oh, I’m glad!” she said warmly. “I’m sorry you can’t stay closer to him. I promise I’ll fix up a room for you by the next time you come to visit.”

“It’s absolutely no problem.”

Kamui waved her hand, brushing him off. “Please, Kamui is fine,” she insisted. “Everyone here calls me a princess, but I sure feel like a prisoner sometimes,” she mumbled. She seemed to have realized what she said and held up her hands. “O-of course I’m not expressing ingratitude! It just gets a bit lonely sometimes.”

“No need to save face with me,” Niles said with a chuckle. “I’m sure living in isolation isn’t ideal.”

“I do wish I could be at the castle with everyone else,” Kamui admitted sheepishly. “But if Father wants me to remain here, I must.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, what is the true reason that you’re confined here? Lord Leo told me that it is for your protection.”

“That’s the same reason that Father told me I must stay here. He deems me ‘too weak’ to be outside the fortress,” Kamui said with a slight roll of her eyes. “So I’ve been training with Xander like crazy, in hopes to prove to father that I’m every bit the warrior my siblings are. I’ve yet to impress him.”

“I’m sure you will soon,” Niles assured you. “You don’t seem like a weak little princess to me.”

Kamui laughed. “That’s very nice of you; perhaps we can spar sometime! I noticed you’re an archer. I’ve yet to spar a range fighter.”

“You spar with Lord Leo, don’t you?”

“Sometimes,” Kamui said, shrugging. “But he is often busy. He comes when he can, but training with me isn’t high up on his to-do list; he takes care of a lot of other things back at the castle while Xander is gone.”

“Perhaps I can convince him to make the journey to the fortress more often,” Niles said, and Kamui flashed a big smile.

“Oh, that would be wonderful. I know Leo is busy but it would be great to see him more.”

“I’ll be sure to let him know.”

Kamui smiled and pushed open a door. Inside was a fully furnished room with large four poster bed, even larger than the one he had at the castle. “Well, you can put your stuff down here and we can go to the dining room,” she said.

Niles tossed his small knapsack onto the bed, following Kamui out of the room. “My quarters is across the hall,” she said, pointing to the closed door directly across from Niles’ room. “If you need anything at any time, you can come see me. My retainers have their rooms there.” Kamui gestured to the rest of the closed doors down the hallway.

“You have two retainers as well?” Niles asked, the two of them heading back to the dining hall.

Kamui shook her head. “I actually have four right now,” she said with a little laugh. “Jakob, who you’ve met already. Twin sisters Felicia and Flora -- Flora made our lunch today. Gunther is my main combat instructor, he’s here often with Xander. Father wanted me to have a lot of protection, I suppose, so all of my retainers were assigned to me. I don’t mind, I love them all like my family,” she added with a smile.

“The rest of your siblings only have two.”

Kamui nodded. “Yes, only two. I’m really happy you came into Leo’s service. I honestly never thought he would ever get another retainer.”

“He did tell me that his retainer before Odin passed.”

“Ah, yes,” Kamui said, nodding. “Emilia.”

“Emilia?"

Kamui nodded again. “I remember her very well, she used to come with Leo all the time to the fortress. She was a very skilled warrior -- she actually taught Leo how to ride a horse,” she remembered fondly.

“What happened to her?”

Kamui smiled sheepishly, shaking her head. “I don’t think it’s my place to say,” she said apologetically. “It’s still a sensitive topic for him, but I think one day, you can ask him about her; he seems to trust you, and I’m sure he’ll tell you about her when the time is right,” she added, and then held a finger to her lips. “But for now, let’s keep this between us, okay?”

“It’ll be our little secret, Kamui,” Niles promised.

\---

Lunch went by without a hitch. Niles was conveniently seated between Leo and Odin, so he was able to make conversation without an underlying feeling of scrutiny. None of the other retainers would outright express their disdain for him, especially not in front of Leo, but Niles knew what it felt like to be spoken to under judgment. He knew they were all waiting for him to screw up somehow.

“Niles, do you want to come spar with me?” Kamui asked immediately after lunch.

“Sister,” Leo sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “We just ate and we’ve been traveling all morning. Maybe give Niles a break.”

“Lady Kamui provided me with a grand room and an even grander meal,” Niles said with a chuckle, standing. “If she wishes to spar, I would be happy to show her my skills,” he added with a playful wink.

“Great!” Kamui said, bursting up from her seat. “Leo, you don’t mind if I borrow Niles for a bit, right?”

Leo nodded, letting out a short sigh. “Sure. Do whatever you wish.”

Niles frowned. “If you’d rather I stay, milord, of course, I--”

“It’s fine, Niles,” Leo interrupted, shaking his head. He flicked his wrist, shooing Niles away. “Go on, my sister is waiting.”

Niles inhaled a big breath, and exhaled shortly. After Leo didn’t say anything, he just nodded. “Well, okay then, milord.”

“We’ll be back before dinner,” Kamui said, bounding over to their side of the table. “Come join us when you’re free, Leo.”

“Sure.”

Kamui spent the day with Niles, leaving Leo to tend to things in the fortress before retreating to his room shortly before dinner. He laid down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Odin and Elise had gone to the training grounds to work with Kamui, and Leo knew he should probably go down there as well, after all, he wasn’t going to be spending too much time here. But for some reason, he really didn’t feel like it.

There were two soft raps at the door and Leo sat up. “What?” he snapped, a bit icier than he intended.

“Sorry to bother you, milord,” he heard Niles’ muffled voice from the other side of the door.

Leo swung his legs over the side of the bed and opened the door. Niles was a little grimy and still a bit sweaty, probably from training with Kamui all day. “I apologize for my appearance,” he said, noticing that Leo had been studying him. “But I wanted to come and see you.”

“What for?” Leo asked.

“You seemed upset at lunch,” Niles reminded him gently. “I wanted to sincerely apologize if I made you upset by spending the afternoon with Lady Kamui. She’s a gracious host and I’ve yet to learn how to properly turn down royalty when they ask something of me.”

Leo’s heart sank and he shook his head. “There’s nothing to apologize for, Niles,” he assured his retainer with a sigh. “I was, ah, tired from the trip over. I should apologize, I was being a brat. I’m glad you and my sister seem to have bonded. That’s all four of my siblings that you’ve impressed.”

Niles didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure, milord?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Leo said. “You should take a bath before dinner. I’ll meet you down there, alright?”

“Of course,” Niles said obediently, and Leo closed the door.

\---

Niles did as he was told, returning to the east wing and indulging in a hot bath before getting ready to head down for dinner. He and Kamui had some talks about trust during their spar -- she was quite easy to talk to, albeit a bit naive, but Niles didn’t mind. She was genuinely curious about him; something that was quite foreign to Niles. Kamui was probably the first person that Niles really got along with besides Leo.

“Oh, good evening, Niles,” greeted Kamui, also having emerged from her room at the same time. She’d shed her armor and was dressed more casually, in a black drapey tunic and black leggings, her hair done in a braid over her shoulder. “Mind if I accompany you to dinner?”

“Of course not,” Niles said as they walked together.

Kamui grinned up at him. “Thanks for sparring with me today, Niles! You’re a great shot. Leo must be excited to have you in his service.”

“You flatter. The pleasure was mine, milady,” Niles said, and Kamui lifted a finger as though scolding him.

“Kamui,” she corrected, pretending to pout.

“My apologies, it’s a little uncomfortable for me to address you by name,” Niles said honestly.

“I mean, don’t you do that with Leo, though?” Kamui asked, tilting her head.

Niles shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of.”

“Oh,” Kamui said, seeming a bit confused. “You should ask him if you could address him by name!”

“It’s not really my place to ask such a thing,” Niles said with a chuckle. “I’m fine with the way things are. I respect Prince Leo and I don’t mind expressing that respect.”

“But it’s not about that,” Kamui said, shaking her head. “For me, when someone addresses me by name, it means we’re friends.”

“Friends?”

“Yeah,” Kamui said with a nod. “It means that we’re on equal ground. There’s no need for titles between friends.”

“Does that mean we’re friends?” Niles asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course,” she said immediately, laughing. “You just have to address me by name.”

“That’s very kind of you...Kamui,” Niles said, chuckling at how Kamui gave him a thumbs up for using her name. “So, what kinds of things do friends do? I’ve never had one.”

“Oh! Well, they talk to each other and spend time together, mostly,” Kamui said simply, smiling.

“Hmm, a little difficult for people who live in two completely different castles,” Niles chuckled.

“True,” Kamui agreed, tapping her lips. “Hmm, well, I used to write to Xander and Leo, before they got really busy. We’d exchange letters and tell each other things that are on our minds. We could write to each other?”

Niles furrowed his brows. “I wouldn’t want to waste your time with that,” Niles told her. “Besides, you wrote to your siblings, I’m sure I’ve not gained the same honor.”

“Niles, you’re being silly,” Kamui said with a chuckle. “If you’d like, we can be pen pals! We can tell each other stories and such.”

“Are you sure?” Niles asked. “My story’s quite a boring one.”

“As is mine,” Kamui laughed. “But it could be fun, nonetheless.”

“Perhaps,” Niles mused. “Though if you sent me a letter, I’d of course reply.”

Kamui grinned. “I’ll start writing after dinner, then!”

“Then I suppose I have no choice but to practice my calligraphy,” Niles replied, adjusting his cape as they approached the dining hall.

Kamui gave him a once over, pausing to put her hands on her hips. “Mm, Niles, why’re you still wearing your cape and armor?”

He looked down at himself. “I don’t have anything else,” he said and Kamui huffed, marching directly towards him, making a move to undo his cape. As soon as her fingers touched the string on his cape, on reflex, he swiped her hand away, backing up immediately.

Kamui paused in her step, eyes widening in surprise. Niles inhaled sharply, realizing what he’d done, lowering his hands. His guard had been down and he knew his reaction was completely uncalled for. “I-I’m sorry, milady, I didn’t mean to strike you,” Niles said, dropping to his knee to bow to her, reverting back to calling her by title. “It’s reflex, from...my time in the slums.”

“Stand, Niles, there’s nothing to apologize for,” Kamui said immediately, causing Niles to look up. “I shouldn’t have touched you. I’m sorry.”

“Niles? Kamui?” asked a voice and both of them looked up to see Leo standing at the base of the stairs to the west wing, brows furrowed. He was dressed casually as well, in a black vest and white ascot over a white longsleeve shirt and slacks. “Is everything okay?”

Niles stood up, dusting himself off. “Yes, milord.”

“Everything’s fine,” Kamui confirmed with a small nod. She offered Niles an apologetic smile. “I’ll see you at dinner, okay?” she said, sweeping away into the dining room.

Leo made a beeline straight for Niles, his brows still creased in concern. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look rattled.”

“It’s fine, nothing to trouble yourself over,” Niles said with a smile. “I think I’ll head back to my room, if that’s alright with you, milord.”

“It’s not,” Leo said, frowning. “Why do you want to return to your room? Did my sister say something to you? Shall I speak to her?”

“No, no, it’s not that,” Niles assured him, shaking his head. “I just...I’m not appropriately dressed for dinner.” He gestured to his outfit and then back to Leo’s. “I do not wish to embarrass you in front of your family, milord.”

“You worry too much,” Leo said gently, shaking his head.

“Lord Leo, it seems our timing has synced up! We have all become one with the forces of darkness!” cried an overzealous voice, Odin posing at the bottom of the staircase, pointing at Leo and Niles. He had changed into a fresh set of his usual battle outfit, and Leo looked back to Niles with a smile.

“See? You’re definitely not embarrassing me, Niles,” he said, following Odin as he burst into the dining room.

Niles followed Leo into the dining hall, a little relieved. Everyone was already chatting, wine being poured as Leo, Niles and Odin took their seats.

Niles found himself sitting next to Elise, who tried to sneakily grab his glass of wine. Niles scooped it out of her reach and raised an eyebrow at her playfully. She grinned up at him sheepishly. “Oh, shucks, I almost had it!”

“Try again next time, milady,” Niles teased, clinking his wine glass gently against her water before downing the entire thing in one gulp. He placed the empty glass on Elise’s table settings with a grin. “For you, Lady Elise.”

She huffed playfully, crossing her arms.

“Here, have mine,” Leo said, placing his glass on Niles’ table setting.

Niles shook his head. “I’m fine, milord.”

“Go ahead, Niles. Enjoy yourself. I don’t drink,” Leo said, shaking his head.

Niles smirked. “Don’t? Or _can’t_?”  
  
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Leo replied flatly, causing Niles to laugh.

Niles laughed, raising his glass to Leo. “Thank you, milord.”

“Hey, hey, Niles, it’s my birthday next month, you’ll come to the party, right?” Elise asked as Niles reached for a scoop of potatoes, tumbling some out onto Elise’s plate before doing so on his own.

“Everyone’s going to be at the party, Elise,” Leo said and Elise puffed her cheeks out at him.

“Looks like I’ll be there, then,” Niles said with a chuckle.

“Big Sister, you’ll be there, too, right?” Elise asked Kamui across the table.

Kamui smiled warmly. “Of course.”

“Great!” Elise said, clapping her hands together excitedly. “There’s so much planning to do, Effie, can we start doing that tomorrow?”

“Sure thing, milady,” Effie said from Elise’s other side.

The dinner went by without incident and Niles felt a little silly for worrying, but maybe that silly was just because he had about five glasses of wine. He didn’t feel unmanageable, just perhaps a little tipsy. Elise had gotten up after desert, already sleepy, and decided to turn in early. Arthur and Effie left shortly after that, Odin still recapping a recent mission loudly to Kamui, who, on her third glass of wine, was actually paying a bit of attention.

Niles yawned and stood up himself, pouring another glass of red wine before lazily making his way out to the balcony. The air was a bit chilly, but it didn’t bother him; he was used to the cold. He looked up at the sky, the corners of his lips turning up slightly as he spotted the moon through the top of the fortress.

“The moon is surprisingly clear tonight,” said a voice and Niles turned to see Leo behind him.

Niles turned his eyes back to the sky. “I spent a lot of nights in the slums looking up at the moon,” he said quietly. “It’s nice to know you can see it from this fortress too.”

Leo nodded. “We all look at the same moon, after all.”

“Yeah,” Niles agreed. “Never thought I’d get to see it from here.”

“I’m sorry,” Leo said suddenly, causing Niles to turn slightly. Leo shook his head. “For being a brat earlier today.”

Niles chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m honestly not sure what you mean, milord.”

Leo sighed shortly. “Kamui,” he started. “She is my sister, and I do love her. But even though she is older than me, growing up, Xander and Camilla were constantly showering her in attention and it frustrates me still, even to this day. And when you left with her, it reminded me of those times my siblings left for her as well. I know it’s foolish to be rattled about something so childish, which is why I am even more upset that I let my emotions get the better of me. I’m sorry for being icy today.”

Niles was a bit surprised. He’d never expected Leo to say something like that. “It’s fine, milord,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m not upset and of course harbor no ill feelings towards you.”

Leo let out a sigh of relief, nodding. “Thank you, Niles.”

“Nothing to thank me for,” Niles assured him.

“I just don’t want you to think less of me,” Leo said. “I love my sister to the moon and back.”

Niles chuckled, nodding slowly as he turned back to the moon. “To the moon and back,” he repeated quietly. “I don’t think I’ve ever loved anything that much,” he said, grinning back at Leo despite his words. “But I’m fully aware you love your sister, milord. We all have our own little insecurities and definitely no need to apologize to me for any of them.”

“You’re too kind, Niles,” Leo said. “Though may I ask what happened with Kamui earlier? You seemed really shaken up.”

“Oh,” Niles said, nodding. He pressed his fingers against the clasp of his cape. “It was my fault. She was just going to take my cape off for the dinner and on reflex, I struck her hand away. Weird as it may seem, I’m not really touchy-feely. It’s a reflex from when I’d be forced to do things I didn’t necessarily want to do. But regardless, I shouldn’t have reacted that way; she just surprised me, is all. I apologized and we’re fine. We’re still friends.”

“I see,” Leo said. “Are you okay now?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” Niles assured him. “Thanks.”

“Will you be out here a bit longer?”

“Yeah,” Niles said, his eyes back to the moon. “I’ll see you in there.”

“Of course,” Leo said with a nod before heading back inside.


	4. Chapter 4

“Niles, a letter came in from Lady Kamui,” Felicia told him, handing him a tied piece of parchment as he approached the castle doors.

Niles had been away on a mission for a few days, and surprised himself at how much he missed his tiny blonde Prince. He really wanted to see Leo for a moment -- thank Gods he had to report to Leo after missions.

“I didn’t read it!” she said quickly, waving her hands. “I was helping to tidy up your room a bit and a raven from the fortress came!”

“It’s not an issue anyway; I’ve nothing to hide,” he told her, and she visibly relaxed, even though that wasn’t particularly true. He trusted Kamui and vice versa, and they often shared stories in their letters and Niles’ stories as of late had involved talking about Leo. He knew that Kamui wasn’t that naive -- she probably had her assumptions about the way Niles felt about Leo. 

And she’d probably be right. But as Leo’s retainer, he’d never be able to say anything out loud. 

“Where’s Prince Leo?” Niles asked, taking the letter and stuffing it into his pocket. “Our wing?”

“Oh, he came down to wait for you in the dining hall,” Felicia said with a smile. 

“Thank you, Felicia,” he said, hurrying towards the dining room to meet Leo.  

 

\---

 

“Baby brother, good evening,” Camilla greeted, looking up from her book as Leo came into the dining room. Beruka was seated close to her, also reading, half empty glasses of wine in front of them both. Beruka nodded at Leo in greeting. Leo was dressed casually since he had spent the day in a castle, in a simple violet tunic and black leggings. 

“Good evening, Camilla, Beruka” he said with a smile, sitting across of her. “What are you two doing down here?”

“Reading. Wine,” Camilla said with a smile, leaning her head against Beruka’s. She mimicked the motion for a moment, nudging Camilla with her own head before returning her eyes to her books. Camilla smiled and gently kissed her retainer on her cheek. 

Leo had been curious about Camilla’s relationship with Beruka for some time. Camilla was a loving and affectionate person, she hugged and kissed everyone, but Leo began noticing it moreso with Beruka; he’d sometimes catch Camilla stealing a kiss when she thought no one was looking. Leo had his assumptions, but never said anything about it. It wasn’t his place to ask or pry.

Leo set up his books, rolling out a piece of parchment to start working for the night. He stood up to fetch a pitcher of water and two glasses, only filling one for the time being. Camilla studied her brother, closing her book.

“Leo, darling, where’s that devilishly handsome outlaw of yours?” Camilla asked, smiling at Leo slyly as he scanned his book.

Camilla watched Leo look up, realizing her brother was probably unaware of the way his cheeks were dusted pink at the mention of his retainer. “Niles? Oh, he’s away on a mission, due to return home soon. I wanted to wait for him here.”

“Your room is quite far. You want to see him as fast as you can. That’s cute,” Camilla cooed, watching her little brother fluster a bit.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Leo said, shaking his head.

“I mean you and your little outlaw,” Camilla said with a smile. “You’re always so excited to see him. You’re so sweet to him.”

“I try to do my best to be a lord that someone like Niles would be proud to serve,” Leo answered with a professional nod, despite his sister’s coy words. “He’s a good man.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Camilla said sweetly, lifting her wine glass with her other hand, swishing the red wine around. “He’s a good man...and you’re a good man. Such a perfect match, don’t you think?”

“Sister, what is it you’re insinuating?” Leo asked, getting straight to the point. 

“I’m not  _ insinuating _ anything,” she said innocently, but her smile was anything but. “I’m  _ saying _ that if you like that devilishly handsome outlaw of yours, Leo, you should snatch him up before someone else does.”

Leo stared at his sister for a moment, mouth slightly agape. He wasn’t expecting Camilla to speak so openly. “Niles doesn’t -- I-I mean,  _ I _ don’t think about Niles in that way. I’m his lord.”

Camilla smiled, amused. “Being his lord doesn’t mean anything.”

“Of course it does,” Leo said firmly. “A lord or lady and their retainer have a special bond. As a lord, I trust my retainers with my life and vice versa. To have romantic intentions within that bond is a violation of it. It is a violation of trust.”

Camilla pursed her lips. “Is it, though?” 

“Yes, I believe it is,” Leo confirmed. Leo heard the door being pushed open and nearly jumped, Camilla giggling at the way her brother was startled. He ignored her.

“Welcome home,” Leo greeted, as Niles came into the dining room. Camilla watched her brother smile warmly as he noted the page in his book, shutting it closed. His attention was diverted directly to Niles. He stood up and poured Niles a glass of water. Niles was a bit dirty, his hair a little oily and his clothes a bit dusty. 

“Thank you, milord,” Niles said with a grin trading the glass of water for a few pieces of slightly tattered parchment. He noticed Camilla and Beruka and offered them a smile. “Good evening, miladies,” he greeted, and Camilla’s lips turned up into a smile.

“Welcome home, Niles,” she greeted, standing, brushing a hand against Beruka’s shoulder. She closed her book, gathering Camilla’s things in her arms. “Beruka and I were just leaving. We’ll see you boys later.”

“Sure. Have a good night,” Niles said, eyebrows raised, seeming a bit amused. 

“Oh, thank you, darling. We will,” Camilla replied with a wink that Leo missed as he was looking at the parchment Niles had given him. Niles smirked at Camilla as she closed the door, leaving him and Leo alone in the dining room.

Niles turned his attention back to his glass of water, realizing how parched he was. He downed the glass in one gulp, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He poured himself another glass of water. “That’s all the info I got on the Hoshidan army near Fort Jinya,” he added, nodding towards the papers Leo was looking at. 

“It’s a lot of information. You continue to impress me, Niles,” Leo complimented, looking back up at Niles. “You made such short work of this.”

“Mm, well speed _is_ my specialty,” he added with a wink.

“I don’t know if you should be bragging about that,” Leo teased, tucking the parchment away.

“If you know what you’re doing, you don’t need a lot of time to do it,” Niles continued, wiggling his eyebrows as Leo laughed. 

“Seriously, though, thank you,” Leo said, nodding. “You’re the only one in the court that specializes in stealth and recon, so I’m very grateful that you did this. I’m sure it was dangerous.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s a specialty,” Niles said with a laugh.

“Nevertheless, thank you.”

“It’s fine, milord.” Niles felt his chest swell with pride as he grinned. “Glad I could be of use to you.”

Leo glanced at the clock, waving over at where he’d been sitting. His book floated into his hands as he waved away the rest of the dishes. “Been practicing some magic, I see,” Niles noticed, and Leo laughed.

“Not really. I’ve always known how to do it, I just don’t like to do so very often; I’m afraid it makes me appear lazy,” Leo admitted with a chuckle, waving his hand to open the door. 

“Mm, no need to feel ashamed of being lazy in front of me, milord,” Niles laughed. 

“I don’t,” Leo teased. He looked at the clock again, his book in his arms. “Well, it’s a bit late and everyone should be getting into bed by now. Why don’t we use the baths? I’m sure you’re due for one.”

“Thanks, but I’m not a big fan of thermaes,” Niles admitted, shaking his head. 

“Good, because in the castle, we have a balneae,” Leo told him. He tilted his head in confusion. “You haven’t used it yet?”

“My room has a perfectly good bathroom with a door that locks and a tub for one.”

“Well, the balneae is empty now,” Leo shrugged. “I’m surprised, Niles; I never thought you’d be one to not like bathhouses. I’ve heard there are lots of them in the town.”

“Yeah, you have to  _ pay _ to go them, milord,” Niles said with a laugh, following his lord out of the dining hall. “And if I ever had any money, I didn’t care to spend it on a bathhouse.”

“So, you’ve never been in one?” Leo asked.

“I have been in one. In a few, actually. That’s how I know I’m not a fan,” he said with a laugh. “And by the way, if I'm gonna be naked in a room with a bunch of guys, we are  _ not  _ gonna be taking a _bath_.”

Leo laughed, shaking his head. “Well, our balneae is beautiful and extravagant,” he assured Niles. “You’ll become a fan.”

Niles sighed. There was no winning against Leo when he really set his mind to something.  “You’re not taking no for an answer, are you, milord?” Leo just turned back and grinned in response and Niles rolled his eyes playfully. “You really are trying to court me, aren’t you? Making me take a bath with you, all hot and sweaty in the balneae...this is how erotic prose starts, doesn’t it?”

“Shut up,” Leo chuckled, rolling his eyes and Niles laughed.

“Alright, fine, I’ll join you in the baths --  _ if  _ you make sure you use that lazy magic of yours to lock the door,” Niles bargained. “Wouldn’t want anyone to walk in on you flirting with me.”

“You’re the worst,” Leo laughed, waving his hand with a grin. “But fine, I’ll lock the door.”

“Sounds like a party,” Niles teased with a wink, pushing open the door to his room.

“I’ll see you in the baths in ten minutes,” Leo laughed before heading into his own room.

 

\---

 

Niles shed his breastplate and cape and grabbed some things to bring down to the baths. He glanced at a clock on the way out; it really was quite late already and everyone else in the castle should be asleep. He figured he could sneak into the kitchen and steal some chilled milk to bring for him and Leo in the baths.

He pushed open the door to the kitchen and paused. Xander and Laslow both had their backs faced to Niles. Xander was perched on a barstool, Laslow standing behind him resting his arms on Xander’s shoulders as they looked over a book or something -- Niles couldn’t see what they were looking at. But he definitely did see Laslow chuckle and kiss the side of Xander’s temple.

“Good evening,” Niles greeted as he walked into the kitchen, and Laslow yelped, nearly jumping ten feet in the air and propelled himself away from Xander, all the way to the other side of the table. 

"O-oh, hey, Niles," Laslow stumbled. "Nice, ah, towel."

Niles almost laughed at Xander’s small but exasperated sigh. Xander turned to Niles and offered him a smile.  “Good evening, Niles. You’re awake quite late,” he said. He gestured to the tea set in front of him. Niles could see from where he was standing that the tea was ice cold. “Would you like some tea?” 

Niles admired Xander’s grace under pressure.

“No, thank you, milord. I’m just about to join Prince Leo in the baths,” he said, pointing to the freezer. “I was hoping it would be alright if I could bring some milk.”

“You're more than welcome to,” Xander said, waving his hand at the freezer. Niles grabbed what he needed, aware of the tension in the room. He could hear Laslow trying to mouth words to Xander and could almost see Xander shaking his head at his panicked retainer.

Niles spun around and Laslow clamped his mouth shut, smiling a toothless, sheepish smile. Niles smiled. “Thank you very much for the milk, milord,” he told Xander, who nodded. 

“Of course,” Xander said again. He paused for a moment as Niles made a move to leave. “Niles, my sincerest apologies, but if I could please ask a favor of you--”

“Don’t worry about it, milord,” Niles assured him with a wink, but he could see Laslow visibly relax. “I didn’t see anything."

Xander seemed surprised, but let out a breath of relief. “Thank you, Niles.”

“Have a good night,” Niles said with a grin, disappearing off to the baths.

 

\---

 

Leo had already rinsed off and settled in the hot water, getting back to reading his book. A simple spell made it waterproof -- one of Leo’s favorite spells. The balneae in the castle was unparalleled in elegance. It was an octagon completely made of steel colored marble, with a small pillar at every point, a beautiful violet hydrangea arrangement inside of an ornate white vase perched at the top. On the outer pillars were small torches that glowed a dull orange, pointed elaborate gothic arches decorating the outer walls. 

Leo had dropped in one of his favorite bath oils, turning the water a milky light lilac. The scent of lavender filled the room -- Leo’s favorite scent -- that was perfect for just before going to bed. He figured if Niles was feeling strangely bashful, a slight cover would help him feel a little more comfortable.

He’d already read a whole chapter before the door to the balneae creaked open. Through the steam from the hot water, Leo could see that Niles had shed his shirt but still wore a small grey towel around his waist, even after having cleansed himself in the shower room. His silver hair was washed and cleaned, slicked back.

“About time,” Leo said, shutting his book. 

“Sorry to keep you waiting, milord,” Niles said, sliding into the balneae and wading into the water. He handed Leo a bottle of milk. “Stopped at the kitchen. I used to see them sell milk in the baths.”

“Thank you, Niles,” Leo said as Niles waded more towards the middle of the balneae.

Leo watched quietly, Niles’ tanned skin flecked with many silver scars. Some were small, but some were big, leaving ropey lines across his skin. Leo noticed his muscles flexing as he moved; Niles was a lot more muscular than Leo thought. Niles waded into the balneae until most of his body was concealed by the water.

Leo furrowed his brows slightly. “Niles, you know you’re still wearing your eyepatch, right?” he reminded.

“I am one-hundred percent aware of that, milord,” Niles said with a grin.

“Why don’t you take it off?” Leo asked.

“I’m already naked, milord, what more do you want?” Niles teased and Leo rolled his eyes. “Really though, most people get uncomfortable if a dirty one eyed rat is in the baths with them. So I just leave it on,” Niles told him with a laugh. 

“Well, I’m not most people, and you’re not a rat,’” Leo reminded him with a chuckle. “I’m not uncomfortable, Niles. I’m just worried you are.”

“I’m fine,” Niles assured him. He splashed the water a bit. “What is this stuff anyway?” he asked, not waiting for an answer before dunking his head into the water for a moment. He burst up, wiping his face. “Gods, is that  _ milk _ ?” he asked, licking his lips as he moved towards the edge of the balneae to sit near Leo. “Why is there milk  _ in _ here? I just  _ brought _ milk.”

Leo laughed, waving him off. “It’s moisturizing,” Leo told him. “It’s a mix of olive oil, cocoa butter, and soy milk with lavender extract. It’s supposed to be good for your skin.”

“Ah, you highborns and your fancy baths,” Niles teased playfully, cupping some water in his hands to watch it drip back in the balneae. “It is pretty soft. If water could be soft, I mean.”

Leo laughed. “Yeah, if you like it, I can have some sent to your room for your bath.”

“Sounds great,” Niles said with a chuckle, leaning against the edge of the baths. Leo blinked a few times, studying a few of the scars on Niles’ arms. Most of the time, his arms were covered with black guards, and the rest of his outfit was modest -- especially compared to Odin’s -- so Leo never really did see much of Niles’ skin besides his face. 

“I mean, I know I’m damn sexy, milord, but you don’t have to stare,” Niles teased, licking his lips and Leo blinked a few times, snapping himself back to reality and flushing all the way to his ears. Niles told himself that wasn’t completely adorable and that it was just the heat from the water that turned his prince’s cheeks pink.

“S-sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Leo said, purposely looking away as Niles laughed. It wasn’t like Leo to get flustered over Niles’ teasing. But Niles told himself it meant nothing anyway.

“I’m joking, milord,” Niles assured him, rubbing his shoulder with a hand. “It’s my fault anyway, I’m all kinds of fucked and scarred up. Sorry, I admit it can be pretty gross to look at,” he said, unconsciously sinking a little lower into the water. 

“No, i-it’s not that,” Leo stumbled, throwing his hands up. “Y--you’re in great shape.”

“Oh _my_ , are you hitting on me, milord?” Niles teased, and Leo huffed again sinking into the water as Niles laughed, splashing a little water at Leo. “You don't have to get your feathers all ruffled,” he added. “You know I’m kidding.”

“I know,” Leo huffed. “But, ah, for what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re gross. I just wonder, is all.”

Niles furrowed his brows. “Uh, wonder  _ what _ ?”

“How you got them,” Leo said, pointing to Niles’s shoulder that was still exposed. A thick silver scar ran from under his collarbone to his shoulder. “The scars, I mean. You...have so many.”

“A lot of bad stuff,” Niles told him with a grin, massaging the scar Leo had been looking at. “It’s what happens when you live in the slums for almost fifteen years. I like to think of it as gaining tougher skin.”

Leo pressed his lips together. “I’m sorry.”

Niles just laughed, waving him off. “You’re being really depressing, milord. There’s nothing for you to apologize for,” Niles told him. He pointed to the scar again. “If it makes you feel any better, I definitely killed the person who did this.”

“It does,” Leo said with a small smile. “And you haven’t killed the person who did that, correct?” he asked, nodding towards Niles and Niles knew what Leo was referring to. He tapped his eyepatch with a smile.

“Unfortunately not,” Niles answered.

“It must be uncomfortable to wear the eyepatch in the baths,” Leo said. 

“Thus the real reason why I don’t go to public baths,” Niles revealed with a laugh. 

“Well, you can take it off, you know,” Leo told him with a chuckle. “I don’t care.”

“But  _ I _ do,” Niles told him, his tone more serious than Leo had ever really heard before. “What’s underneath is really not cute, milord, and I’d rather spare you the horror of seeing it.”

“It can’t be that bad.”

“Oh, it’s  _ bad _ ,” Niles assured him. He took a breath, pausing. “One day, I want to show you. But I don’t think today is that day.”

 

“Okay,” Leo said, nodding. “When you’re ready to show me, that’s when I want to see it.”

“I’m surprised actually,” Niles said, pointing to a spot on his right chest. Leo mimicked the motion, his fingers grazing against a familiar scar. It was rough and ropey to the touch, having had healed over so many times. “That’s a pretty big one.”

“Stabbed with an airborne bolt naginata on my first day in the field,” Leo said, making the motion with his hands. “Went straight through my armor and knocked me off my horse.”

Niles made a face. “Yikes,” he said with a laugh. 

“Yeah, it was really uncool,” Leo added.

“It’s actually a little comforting to know that the mighty and powerful Prince Leo started out as a clumsy warrior like the rest of us,” Niles told him. 

Leo laughed. “I suppose.”

“What were you doing on the front lines anyway?” Niles asked. 

Leo shrugged, chuckling. “I don’t know, I thought I could. It was my first day out. I wanted to show I could be the kind of general that fought alongside his army.”

“Your retainers let you?”

“She objected,” Leo chuckled, nodding. He pressed against the scar on his chest. “And she was angry about this.”

Niles nodded slowly, a little cautious. “She?”

“Oh,” Leo said, blinking a few times. “Yes, before you and Odin, my retainer was a woman.”

Niles told himself he wasn’t jealous. “A woman?”

“Her name was Emilia,” Leo said, the name on his lips sounding foreign, like he hadn’t said it for a while. “She was a wyvern lord.”

Niles paused. “May I ask what happened?” 

Leo looked to Niles, seeming to think for a moment. He nodded slowly. “Yes.”

“Will you tell me what happened?”

Leo’s lips curled into a small smile, as he had asked the same question about Niles’ eye when they’d first met. “Yes,” Leo said quietly, nodding again.

Niles was visibly surprised, shaking his head. “I was kidding, milord. It’s really alright if you don’t wish to tell me--”

“I do,” Leo interrupted, chuckling. “I do wish to tell you. Just ask me.”

Niles paused for a moment, seeming to gather his words. There were a lot of things he wanted to ask, but he decided to make his question simple: “What happened to Emilia?” 

“She died,” Leo said just as simply. “And it was my fault.”

“You’re probably being hard on yourself--”

“No, it was absolutely my fault,” Leo said quietly, looking down into the water. Niles could tell that Leo’s hands were fidgeting. “We were supposed to be running a simple ambush on a fort. We’d done it so many times before. Small ones. This one was supposed to be no different. But I was arrogant. So eager to prove that I was just as good a leader as Xander or Camilla. 

“I knew in my gut that something was off, but I ignored it. Emilia wanted to turn back, but I didn’t listen. We got ambushed. Emilia distracted a bunch of enemy troops and I barely escaped but because of my childishness, she was captured and killed.”

“I’m sorry,” Niles said sincerely. He paused. “If...she was captured, perhaps she still lives. How are you sure that she was killed?”

“Because they sent her back to me in pieces,” Leo said quietly. “It happened a while ago, but it really...messed me up. But it’s made me more careful and I’ve promised myself that no one else in my service will die because of me.” He offered Niles a gentle smile. “Sorry for the slightly depressing story.”

“Don’t apologize, I’m the one that asked,” Niles told him. “I’m sorry about Emilia.”

“Me, too,” Leo said, nodding. “It’s terrible to lose someone you love.”

“Were you to marry her?” Niles dared asking, and Leo paused for a moment before bursting out into laughter, Niles not daring to say any more.

“No, no, Niles, you misunderstand,” he said, waving his hand. “Emilia was almost 20 years my senior. She was a friend of my mother’s -- her handmaiden, actually, that’s how we met -- before she enlisted in the army as a wyvern lord. Emilia was more of a mother to me than my witch of a real mother ever was. That’s why it destroyed me when she died.”

“Oh,” was all Niles could say. He told himself he wasn’t relieved.

“I am who I am today because of her guidance. She taught me everything I know. She even taught me to ride a horse. Stella even used to be hers,” Leo told him. “I wanted to give Stella to someone I trust. I think I made the right choice.”

“I’m beyond honored,” Niles told him honestly. “Thank you. For telling me about Emilia.”

“Of course,” Leo said. “Sorry it’s such a depressing story.”

“Milord, I’m no stranger to depressing stories,” Niles told him with a chuckle. “We all have our own. It’s actually a bit comforting, as crude as that sounds. Here I thought you were someone who’d never gone through any kind of hardship.”

“I’ve learned from it,” Leo said, nodding a bit. “It’s how it is in the beginning. A bit clumsy, messy, and you make a lot of mistakes. But if I let that paralyze me, I would just be locked up in my room doing nothing.”

“Agreed,” Niles said with a nod. “Less than humble beginnings, I suppose. We all have our own.”

“And your less than humble beginning?”

Niles paused for a moment, thinking. He nodded. Leo had shared a painful part of himself with Niles. He wanted to return the gesture. 

“Abandoned,” he said with a shrug. “When I was ten or so? I don’t really remember much from then. Growing up, I think, was a lot of darkness, dampness. Learned everything I know from the slums. I actually learned to shoot because I used to watch the soldiers train in the fields. I thought, man, if I could be good at one thing, I’d pick being able to kill someone without them even knowing it was me. And what'dya know? I'm the best shot in the country.”

“So you were a natural? Even when you first started?” Leo chuckled.

Niles snorted laughter. “Oh, no, definitely not. I was damn terrible. But I learned pretty quick. On my very first job, a bow and quiver were the first things I stole, so that I could practice.”

Leo looked worried, making a face. “Oh, Gods, was that the bow I broke on the day we met? Did I break your very first bow?”

Niles burst out laughing, shaking his head. “No, no, that old thing broke ages ago.”

Leo let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank goodness.”

“It’s very sweet of you to care,” Niles said, chuckling. “But I’m not that sentimental about stuff like that.”

“Material things?”

Niles shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. I used to steal for a living, so stuff like weapons or clothes, all that stuff is interchangeable.”

“What about gifts?”

“Well, before I was brought into your service, I’d never received something like that,” Niles told him. “Which is why I treasure everything you’ve given me, milord.”

Niles noticed Leo’s face light up at that but told himself to ignore it. It didn’t mean anything anyway.

“Good, I’m glad,” Leo said with a small smile. “You deserve things.”

Niles chuckled. “You spoil me.”

“I know, and I want to,” Leo said. “You’re a good warrior and a good man, Niles. You deserve to be treated as such.”

“Thanks,” Niles said quietly. “Odin and I are very lucky.”

Leo chuckled. “Actually, from what I’ve observed, Odin’s quite well off on his own.”

“What do you mean?”

Leo shrugged. “For whatever reason, Odin has always been able to afford whatever it is he needs or wants. The same goes for Laslow. Any article of clothing, anything they want to eat, any weapon they want to use, any armor they need, any horse, anywhere they need to go. They can afford it all on their own.”

“I’m sure it’s because the court pays well,” Niles reminded him. He gestured to the balneae around them. “Being employed here isn’t exactly scraping the bottom of the barrel.”

Leo laughed, shaking his head. “As well as we pay our retainers, it’s not as much as Odin has spent. Laslow’s probably ran through even more gold than him,” he said. “I suspect that wherever they’re from, they’re royalty. They’re probably even related. Cousins, maybe? There’s some relation there. You can see it. They have the same eyes.”

“You think they’re  _ princes _ ?” Niles asked, skeptical. “Odin  _ Dark _ ? Hero of the Ages. A prince?”

Leo laughed. “I don’t think he’s a crown prince.”

“Fair assumption.” 

“Laslow’s probably the crown prince.”

Niles made a face, squinting his eyes. He remembered Laslow and Xander back at the kitchen. He wondered if Leo knew about his brother and retainer. “What?  _ Laslow _ ? Really? A crown prince like Lord Xander.”

“I mean, can’t you see it a little?” Leo asked, shrugging. “I don’t know, maybe he has a sister or something, someone older than him that’s the crown princess or something. Regardless of his womanizing ways, he’s actually very respectful and formal; that kind of man was raised by good women. A kind queen. His swordsmanship is on another level -- you don’t get that good without some kind of formal training. He carries himself with pride; he’s graceful -- that kind of man is a prince.”

“Okay, well, if that’s true, and Laslow and Odin are princes, then why would royalty like that leave their kingdom and work for another kingdom’s royalty?” Niles asked.

“Who knows?” Leo shrugged. “But they’re both proper, upstanding men. They don’t flaunt their money at all; I’ve just been observing the both of them on my own. When I’ve tried to do research on Odin in the past, nothing’s ever come up, so I’m also assuming that he’s changed his name. It’d make sense for a prince to do so if he didn’t want to be found. There’s no way I would ever be able to find any information on him.”

“Why don’t you just confront him about it?”

“Because it doesn’t really bother me, at least not anymore. As long as Odin does his job, there’s no reason for me not to trust him. He’s a great mage -- and also  _ weirdly _ good with a sword, it’s kind of  _ annoying _ \-- but I have nothing against him,” Leo said with another shrug. “I trust him.”

Niles chuckled. “So you come to bathe with him often as well, then?”

“Hm? No, not really,” Leo said, tapping his nose as he thought. “I was in here late once when he was here, but -- you know how he is -- he’s way too energetic, but whenever I ask him about himself, he gets weird about it and doesn’t say much. It makes him uncomfortable when I ask or pry so I’ve stopped questioning him, but it doesn’t make for much conversation. It’s fine. Like I said, I trust him. But it can be a lot of effort to be around him sometimes.”

“And it’s not a lot effort to be around me?”

“No,” Leo answered immediately. “We’re friends.”

Niles nodded, seeming to think for a moment. “Friends?”

“Yeah. We can be ourselves around each other,” Leo said with a smile. “You know, there’s not a lot of people I would consider friends,” he added slowly. “I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

“Maybe a little,” Niles confirmed with a chuckle. 

“And it’s true, I really don’t,” Leo said. “It’s not purposeful, mostly, but people do tend to steer clear of me.”

“We have that in common,” Niles told him. 

“I’m not that great at keeping friends, or even having them in the first place. My personality can be abrasive and I know I can be quite insufferable -- and people are often intimidated by me because I’m a prince. They don’t get to know me and vice versa,” Leo admitted. “So I treasure the friends I do have. I...treasure you very much, Niles.”

Niles smiled a bit. “I'm very honored you consider me a friend.”

“I hope you think the same of me, too,” Leo said with a smile. He didn't wait for an answer, splashing around awkwardly for a moment, averting his eyes for a second before looking back to Niles. “I think I better head to bed; I'm getting pruney. Feel free to stay as long as you wish, Niles -- the door is locked from the inside.”

“Sure,” Niles said, a bit confused as Leo pulled a towel to wrap around his waist before fleeing the baths. “Goodnight, milord.”

 

\---

 

Leo retreated to his room quickly, locking the door with magic. No one could come in right now. He couldn’t wait for an answer. He didn’t want to know what Niles thought of him. He was scared.

He plopped down on his bed with a heavy sigh, running a hand through his damp hair. He didn’t know why he’d asked Niles to come to the baths with him; he was surprised that he’d managed to make it through the entire bath as well as he did. But he’d lived his entire life hiding his emotions, remaining composed despite the situation, and it definitely came in handy tonight, especially when seeing Niles had confirmed his feelings. 

Leo was attracted to Niles. Not only was Niles the most handsome person Leo had ever seen, but he was kind and funny, and he was a strong warrior. He did what he could to make Leo happy, and Leo found himself wanting to do everything he could to bring Niles some sort of happiness, too. Leo felt at ease when they were together, more at ease than he’d ever felt with anyone. 

Leo didn’t want to hear what Niles thought of him because he already knew. Niles would never think of Leo in the way that Leo thought of him. Niles could have anyone he wanted. Why would he want some little brat like Leo? 

Leo laid back in bed, sighing. He swallowed a lump in his throat, his hands wandering to his pants. He groaned quietly, gently massaging his half hard length. 

Leo’s breath hitched. He shouldn’t be thinking of his retainer like this. But Niles...did look so damn good today. He wondered how it would feel if Niles brought him to bed. He’d want Niles to take control. He’d want to feel Niles’ strong hands against his pale skin, leaving bruises where he’d drag his fingers against Leo’s skin too roughly.

Niles would pin Leo’s hands above his head and wrap the other around Leo’s cock. Leo groaned at the thought, fully hard now, roughly massaging his cock over his pants. He paused for a moment, tugging down his pants just low enough to free his swollen cock, rubbing his thumb over the tip, swiping around the wet precum. His other hand clutched at the blankets helplessly, his heart pounding in his chest. 

Leo imagined Niles’ calloused hands pumping his cock fast, hard -- twisting his hands  _ just so _ at  _ just _ the right times to make Leo moan and whimper, turning the prince into a begging mess. Niles would sit up on his heels, drag Leo up towards him and stroke their cocks together, and Leo could be close enough to grab onto Niles’ thick arms for support. Leo was breathing hard, imagining grinding against Niles’ hand -- imagining his breathing, hot, sprinkled with quiet groans of his lord’s name.

“Ah,  _ Niles _ ,” Leo moaned quietly, feeling a familiar burn in his stomach as he pumped his cock faster. He quietly moaned Niles’ name over and over like a mantra until his whole body grew hot and he spilled over his fist and onto his stomach, breathing hard. 

He sighed, taking a breath and covering his face with his clean hand. He hated this. He hated thinking of Niles this way. He had such an hot, molten desire for Niles -- his  _ retainer _ , someone who  _ trusted _ him -- he hated that he couldn’t control himself from thinking of Niles on top of him, reducing him to a whining wreck. He’d never thought of anyone else this way, he’d never wanted anyone the way he wanted Niles. But he knew it could never happen.

Leo pulled off his shirt, using it to wipe up his stomach and hand before tossing it away. He rolled over and pulled up the blankets, curling up underneath them. He sighed again, his heart feeling empty as he closed his eyes, wishing that Niles could be his.

 


	5. Chapter 5

“Prince Leo, good morning,” greeted Felicia with a smile, bringing up his morning tea.

“Good morning, Felicia,” he replied, adjusting his collar as she placed the tea on his desk. “Has Niles returned yet?”

“I saw the bridge lower, he should be coming up soon,” she said, pouring Leo a cup of tea. “Are you excited to see him? He’s been out on a lot of missions lately.”

“Yes, actually, I am,” Leo said, his voice softening for a moment. “Are things getting better with him and the others?”

Felicia sighed, shaking her head. “No, not really. Everyone’s still kind of afraid of him!” she said, frowning. “And everyone who isn’t, thinks poorly of him.”

“As I suspected,” Leo sighed shortly. “It’s alright, he’ll be back soon and I have a nice relaxing day planned for us, away from here.”

“That’s very kind of you, Prince Leo! I’m sure Niles will be very happy,” she praised with a bright smile. She patted her pockets for a moment, pulling out an envelope. “Oh! This came for him, would you like to give it to him?”

“What is this?” Leo asked, furrowing his brows as he plucked the letter from Felicia’s fingers, examining it. There was a violet Nohrian wax seal stamped across the back of the envelope, a flourished ‘Niles’ in flowing calligraphy on the front. Leo recognized that handwriting. He wanted to throw up.

“A raven from Lady Kamui came earlier this morning,” Felicia told him. “Lady Kamui and Niles been corresponding through letters, just like how you used to do so with her. She’s very happy Niles agreed to write with her; Lady Kamui does get lonely sometimes.”

Leo felt sick. “I see,” he heard himself say. He handed the letter back to Felicia unopened. “It’s fine, you can give it to him; I’m sure he will be happy to receive it.”

“Oh, okay, I’ll leave it in his room,” Felicia said, tucking the letter back into her pockets. “Do you need anything else, Prince Leo?”

“I think that’s all, thank you Felicia,” Leo said, turning away. “Send Niles up if you see him.”

“Okay! Will do!” she agreed enthusiastically before leaving the room.

 

\---

 

“I’d like to go into town.”

Niles blinked a few times, not sure he’d heard correctly. After their day in the baths, Niles had gone on another recon mission and had just returned with more information about the Hoshidan troops. With tension between Hoshido and Nohr rising, Niles only saw Leo for a day or two in between missions and then went right back out for more recon. Leo had promised him a relaxing break upon his most recent return but a trip to the town sounded like the exact opposite. 

“Why do you want to go into town, milord?” Niles asked, furrowing his brows. 

“I’d like to pick up new clothes for Odin, you, and myself for Elise’s birthday party,” Leo told him. “I know it’s in a few weeks, but I’d like to get an early start; I may become busy at any time.”

“Don’t you have tailors here in the castle?” Niles asked.

“Yes, but I think this is a good opportunity to see and support the town merchants,” Leo said with a firm nod. “Plus, I would very much like it if you would show me around. I don’t go to the town very often and I think this is the perfect chance, don’t you think?”

No, Niles did not, in fact, think so. “I’m not so sure about that, milord.”

“Why not? I’ll be with you and you know the town. It will be an adventure,” Leo said with a smile.

“I don’t feel good about taking you,” Niles said honestly. “I don’t think it’s worth it to put yourself in danger for clothes when you have custom tailors in the castle.”

“Well, I want to go,” Leo said, unwavering. “But if you don’t wish to accompany me, that’s fine, Niles. I can go alone.”

Niles sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “You are insufferable, milord.”

Leo laughed at that. “Ah, but you knew that coming into this job, so I think that’s more your fault than mine,” Leo teased. “You’d rather come with me than let me go alone, right? So you’ll take me?”

“Alright, fine. You win,” he said, holding his hands up in defeat. “Let me get cleaned up and we can head to the town. You also need to change as well, milord.”

“Change?” Leo asked, looking down at himself. He was clad in his usual shiny black and gold armor. He frowned. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”

“Oh, it’s extremely necessary,” Niles told him with a light chuckle. “The town can be a dangerous place, and you’re very recognizable, especially in that armor. You probably shouldn’t stand out. I’d feel better about accompanying you if you changed.”

Leo sighed, defeated. “Okay, fine,” he huffed. “We’ll compromise. I’ll find something else to wear.”

“Thank you, milord. I’ll meet you downstairs in fifteen minutes.”

 

\---

 

“It feels too light,” Leo said, adjusting his cape. He’d dressed himself in an outfit somewhat similar to Niles’, just with deep violet adornments rather than indigo. He’d left in his headband and donned a shirt that wasn’t as low cut as Niles’, but being without his usual armor left him feeling a bit naked.

He knew going to the town would be somewhat dangerous but he wasn’t too worried. He wanted to spend a day with Niles, alone. He thought it’d feel...kind of like a date.

“You’ll be fine. You still have Brynhildr,” Niles reminded him, fixing the clasp on Leo’s cape. He stepped back, grinning at Leo. “You look good, milord.”

“Whatever you say,” Leo sighed, heading out of the castle. They both took their horses -- Stella being happy to see Niles again -- and headed to the town. Niles didn’t particularly want to ever have to go back into the town again but he wasn’t in any place to object. Besides, he knew the town well enough to avoid places that would prove to be dangerous.

“While we’re here, would you mind if I bought something for Lady Elise?” Niles asked, Leo seeming a bit surprised.

“You don’t have to, you know,” Leo told him. “The money you earn is yours and yours alone. You don’t need to purchase a gift for my sister if you don’t want to.”

“I know; I want to,” Niles said with a laugh. “I have a couple places in mind that might have something that she would like. And I could go and buy something from there this time rather than steal it.”

“Well, that’s definitely a positive.”

“Indeed. You’ve made me a better person already, milord.”

Leo rolled his eyes playfully. “You know, It’s been a really long time since I’ve had to come into the town myself,” he admitted.

“We can always turn back.”

“No, I want to go,” Leo said, making a face at Niles, and Niles sighed, obviously still uncomfortable with today’s itinerary. But Leo just chose to ignore it; Niles would lighten up when he could see that Leo could take care of himself.

They arrived at the town and tied their horses, Leo adjusting his cape again. He really was not used to such light attire if he wasn’t in the castle. 

Niles studied Leo for a moment. “Make sure to hide Brynhildr at your back,” he said, adjusting the holster Leo had attached to his back, making sure the clasps were in place. “Don’t get too close to anyone; they might be pickpockets.”

“I know, Niles,” Leo said, brushing him off and airing out his cape.

“I _know_ that you know,” Niles said shortly. “I am just reminding you to be safe.”

“I will be safe. I’m here with you,” Leo said, but Niles just sighed, leading Leo into the town. Leo’s boots were thinner than his armor; he could feel every bump of the cobblestone as he followed after Niles. The town was bustling with afternoon foot traffic, the calls of street vendors and conversation ringing in the air. 

“Oh, Niles, that looks really good,” Leo said as they passed a street vendor. Niles turned and was going to tell Leo that they should just keep moving, but Leo flashed a bright smile, pointing at the lamb kabobs grilling on the vendor’s table. Niles couldn’t find a way to say no to that smile.

“Alright, let’s get some,” he said, defeated, and Leo paid the vendor for two sticks, handing one of the kabobs to Niles. 

Leo took a bite of his, his face lighting up as the meat melted in his mouth. “Gods, this is delicious,” he said excitedly, raising his stick to show Niles as though Niles didn’t have one of his own. 

Niles already knew what it tasted like; he’d stolen from this vendor so many times before. But he took a bite and for some reason, felt like this was the best lamb he’d ever eaten. “Yeah, it’s good,” he agreed, taking another bite. “Mm, there’s a pretty expensive store a couple blocks over, milord,” he told Leo, pointing in the right direction.

“You don’t have to address me like that,” Leo said, following Niles as he maneuvered through the crowd. Niles paused for a moment and Leo latched onto the edge of Niles’ cape to follow him more easily. “You can just call me Leo.”

“Oh, right,” Niles said with a laugh. “We’re supposed to blend in. It would be bad if someone overheard me calling you ‘milord’ right now.”

“No, ah, I mean,” Leo started, and then shook his head. “Nevermind.”

“Did you say something?” Niles asked, not hearing Leo over the noise.

“No, it was nothing,” Leo said a little louder, shaking his head, and Niles let it drop. They reached the shop, a small little store off the main street and Leo double checked his belongings, making sure Brynhildr was still at his back, and his money still in his pocket.

Niles pushed open the door, allowing Leo to go in first. It was a quaint little shop, Leo noticing the black pinstriped vests and pearly white ascots. A small crystal chandelier hung in the middle of the room, slightly dusty and chipped. The owner was an old man who smiled when Leo and Niles entered. 

“Hello, how can I help you?” he asked, and Leo headed off with him towards some clothes. Niles glanced around the room, making sure there was no one else in the shop. 

“Niles, how about this?” Leo asked, holding up an indigo vest.

“That looks great,” Niles told him with a nod. 

“Maybe this bolo to match,” Leo suggested, lifting a sapphire bolo tie. He glanced over, picking up a turquoise one. “This one is nice, too. Which would you like?”

“Whatever you think looks nice.”

“Which do you like more?” Leo asked, holding both up.

Niles barely looked at either of them. “Any would do,” he said. 

Leo just nodded, choosing the turquoise bolo tie and indigo vest for Niles. The two went through the store in silence, pulling clothes here and there to create outfits for himself, Niles, and Odin. He handed a bunch of clothes to Niles. “You should try it on, just to be sure it’ll fit.”

“I don’t think it’s wise to take off what little armor we have,” Niles said. 

“Oh, you’re right,” Leo said, taking back the clothes. “I suppose I can ask the tailor to adjust anything that doesn’t fit.”

Niles just nodded in agreement as Leo reached the counter to pay for the clothes. Niles dug in his money pouch, handing Leo a few gold pieces. Leo waved him off. “It’s fine, Niles, don’t worry about it,” he said with a smile.

“I can’t just let you pay for all of that,” Niles insisted.

“Your money is yours alone,” Leo said. “I don’t mind. It’s a gift.”

Niles reluctantly returned the gold to his pouch, tucking it back in his pocket. “Thank you, mi--ah, thank you,” he corrected, and Leo nodded. He gathered the bags, Niles grabbing some, and the two headed out of the shop. “The shop I wanted to go to for Lady Elise’s gift is in the street over,” Niles told him.

“Oh, alright,” Leo said, following Niles towards a shop. “So, ah, where were your favorite places to go in town?” 

“Hm? I didn’t really have anywhere I particularly liked going,” Niles said with a shrug. 

“The main street seemed quite lively.”

“Well, it’s still early,” Niles replied. 

“Perhaps we could go back later and purchase some trinkets for Odin and the others,” Leo suggested.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Niles told him. “We should spend as little time as possible here; the longer we stay, the more unsafe it becomes.”

“Well, like you said, I have Brynhildr,” Leo reminded him. “I think it’ll be fine, Niles. You worry too much.”

Niles just sighed in response, holding open a door to a small shop. It was a small jewelry store, with only a few glass cases lined up to display the pieces. The store was devoid of other customers, which Niles was grateful for as he approached the counter. He glanced in the glass cases. He wanted to pick something quick and flee the town. The longer he stayed, the longer he could be recognized. A silver haired one-eyed man wasn’t exactly common place.

“What is your sister’s favorite color?” Niles asked, making sure not to say Elise’s name.

“Ah, pink, probably,” Leo said with a shrug, looking down into the glass as well. 

“Will she like this?” Niles asked, pointing to a thin gold necklace. The pendant was a pink gem inset in a gold piece. 

“Ah, good choice sir, this is a pink tanzanite crystal, a very rare crystal,” the shopkeeper, a middle aged woman, told Niles. She fidgeted nervously. “But because of it’s rarity, it’s considered a collector’s stone, and it can be quite pricey, so--”

“It’s fine,” Niles said, albeit a little bitterly, pulling out his money pouch. He glanced at the ticket price and handed the woman the right amount of gold, much to her obvious surprise. She stood there for a moment, dumbfounded; she clearly hadn’t expected Niles to be able to pay for it. “If you could wrap that up, that would be great,” Niles added, and the woman snapped out of her thoughts and opened the glass case.

“Ah, Elise will love it,” Leo told Niles with a smile, and Niles shot Leo a quick look for saying Elise’s name. Leo pressed his lips together. “Oh, Niles, this is really nice,” he added, changing the subject quickly as he gestured to a piece in one of the cases. It was a huge golden belt with flower dials linking it together.

Niles glanced over. “Mm, yes, it is. The flowers inside are elegant. It’d match one of your day outfits.”

“I meant for you. Do you like it?” Leo asked, pulling out his pouch. “I’d like to buy it for you.”

“That’s really unnecessary,” Niles assured him. “You don’t need to spend money on me, especially not for such an extravagant piece. You’ve given me more than enough.”

“Oh, that’s one of our newest pieces,” the shopkeeper told Leo as she wrapped up the necklace Niles had purchased, sliding it over to him. “It’s made of rose gold but in thin panels, so it’s light in weight, a perfect accessory.”

“Wonderful,” Leo said with a smile. “I’d like to get it for my friend here.”

Niles shook his head. “That’s--”

“I won’t take no for an answer,” Leo told him, holding his hand up. And so the shopkeeper took the belt out of its case, beginning to wrap it up.

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” Leo said, holding out his arms to take the belt. He handed it to Niles. “Here.”

“It’s way too extravagant,” Niles said, swiping up the necklace that the shopkeeper wrapped up. He carefully tucked it into his pocket, not wanting it to be damaged.

“I insist,” Leo said, lifting the belt. “It’s a gift.” Niles just sighed a bit, nodding.

“Thank you,” he said, taking the belt from Leo. He strung it on immediately, clasping it over his tunic. He looked down at himself and offered Leo a small smile. “How does it look?”

“Splendid,” Leo said with a grin.

“Oh, you two are so cute,” the shopkeeper cooed. Niles thought Leo would correct the shopkeeper, but he just smiled in response. “Thank you for your purchases, boys. Come again soon.”

“We will, thank you,” Leo said, but Niles was already on his way out. 

“Alright, are you ready to head back?” Niles asked, giving Leo a smile of relief. He was just happy that all their errands had been done quickly. 

“Oh, we should get something to eat first,” Leo suggested, and Niles’ frown returned.

“We just had some veal, and I thought we were coming only for clothes and for Elise’s gift,” he said. “We can eat back at the castle.”

“But I’m hungry now,” Leo said. “Let’s just eat here. You can pick the place.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m not hungry.”

“Pick the place,” Leo repeated sternly.

Niles pressed his lips into a thin line. “Is that an order?” 

“No,” Leo said, shaking his head. “But I would like it if you could just pick somewhere to eat.”

Niles told himself to take a deep breath. “Yes,  _ milord _ ,” he said flatly, turning his back on Leo to started heading towards a small pub. He pushed open the door, a tiny bell giving a little jingle as Leo walked in after him, taking a seat at one of the window tables. 

A barmaid came by and Leo ordered two ales to start, sending the barmaid off. He glanced at the menu and then back up to Niles. “What’s good to eat here?” Leo asked.

“I don’t know, I haven’t had anything to eat here before,” Niles said flatly.

“But you picked this place,” Leo said, furrowing his brows. “Why would you take me to somewhere you’ve never been?”

“Because this is a fucking _bougie_ pub,” Niles snapped without thinking. “Rich people come here, so shit like me has never even stepped foot in this place. But it’s perfect for highborns that want to play pretend.”

“Alright, Niles, that’s enough,” Leo fired back, shooting a frosty glare at Niles, who rolled his eye. “Do you care to share with me why you’ve been nasty and difficult all day?”

“I didn’t want to come here. You know I didn’t want to,” Niles said. “You think this is some little field trip or adventure, but it’s not. We’re not in some fairy tale town, we’re in Nohr. This is a dangerous place.”

“Everything’s been fine all day. You’re just being paranoid,” Leo retorted. “Why can’t you just loosen up? I think I’ve made it clear that I take care of myself.”

“See? You think this is some sort of game,” Niles said exasperatedly. 

“I’m well aware this isn’t a game,” Leo snapped. “You don’t have to act like you’re my chaperone.”

“I'm sorry, but that’s what I am right now,” Niles said. He’d never spoken to Leo this way; he’d never lost his temper, but this was different. There were a lot of things at risk. “The deal was that we come here for clothes and Lady Elise’s gift, but you’re just doing whatever you want. So yes, I am your chaperone, because you don’t seem to care about your own safety, so someone has to.”

“I didn’t ask you to come because I wanted you to chaperone me,” Leo said. “I wanted you to come here as you.”

“Well, I can’t be me, especially not here. You don’t want to know me here.”

“Yes, I do,” Leo said immediately. “I thought you’d be more comfortable here and that we could get to know each other a little better and have fun, but we’re obviously not on the same page.”

“You’re right. I’ll never be on the same page as a highborn," Niles spat.

Leo frowned. “Niles, do you know why I asked  _ you _ to bring me here and not Odin?” 

“I don’t know, because you wanted a lowborn tour guide?” Niles responded icily.

“Because I wanted to spend time with you,” Leo said quietly, his eyes lowering to the table, his hands fidgeting. Niles felt his stomach drop. “I know you’ve been working hard and I know you don’t particularly like being around the court, so I came up with a reason to spend time with you outside of the castle and away from judgemental eyes. You know, you’ve been going off about me being a highborn, but when did that matter? I’ve never thought of you as being lower than me, I thought you knew that by now. I thought...that maybe we were friends.”

Niles swallowed a lump in his throat. “Milord, I--”

“No, it’s fine,” Leo said, shaking his head. “You’ve made it quite clear that you don’t wish to be here with me. So just go back to the castle. I don’t need a chaperone. I’ll eat at this ‘fucking bougie pub’ and catch up with you later.”

“Can we just--”

“Get out my sight, Niles,” Leo said quietly, turning his eyes to the window. “ _ That’s _ an order.”

Niles sighed exasperatedly, the chair scraping loudly as he stood up, gathered his things and swept out. He felt like shit. Niles really did want to spend time with Leo too; he didn’t know his prince felt the same. He shoved his hands in his pockets and started back towards the horses. He would wait for Leo there, maybe they could reconcile on the way home--

“Niles,” greeted a voice and Niles felt an arm draping around his shoulders. Niles swerved away and bumped into someone else, turning to see a recognizable face. Tiny silver scars and stubble littered the man’s face and he smiled at Niles, his amber eyes gleaming. He brushed his dark hair back with a greasy hand and slung that arm around Niles, starting to walk. “Good to see you, Niles.”

He fired a glare. “Maximus,” he greeted in return, shrugging out of his arm as other outlaws that followed Maximum began to surround Niles. “Get the fuck off me.”

“Is that any way to greet your family?” he asked teasingly.

“You’re not my  _ family _ ,” Niles shot back. “I’m not in the mood right now, Max, so fuck off.”

“Ah, right, that cute little prince is your family now, right?” Maximus said, nodding back towards the direction of the pub. Niles shot him a vile look that wouldn’t made a child cry, but Maximus just laughed. “I could smell the scent of a traitor as soon as your step foot in this town.”

“Me? A traitor? Don't bullshit me; you were the ones that left  _ me _ behind,” Niles scoffed. “Now leave me  _ alone _ .”

“Here's what's gonna happen, Niles,” Maximus started, ignoring him. “You're gonna follow us back to our favorite pub and we're gonna have a lot of fun together, just like old times.”

_ Just like old times _ . Niles knew what that meant. “I’m not doing that.”

“You will. You’ll come with us and see everyone and then you and I can catch up,” he said with a smirk, hooking a finger under Niles’ chin to lift his face so they were looking eye to eye. “I think we have  _ a lot _ of catching up to do. 

“I said  _ fuck off _ ,” Niles spat, shoving Maximus’ hand away. 

“Oh, if you don’t come, then our barmaid is going to slit your prince’s throat,” Maximus added with a bright smile. “She’s with us. So is the old man from the clothing store. Oh and that jewelry shop you went to, that nice little lady told us a couple of outlaws spent a hefty sum. You were so concerned about your little prince’s safety you failed to notice your surrounding. It’s kind of embarrassing, Niles. Now come with us, or your little prince going to have some trouble.”

Niles clenched his jaw. Leo wouldn’t miss him anyway. “Fine, I’ll go with you,” he said tersely. “But you better get that barmaid out of there and leave Prince Leo out of this.”

“Of course,” Maximus said as though that were obvious. He nodded to one of his associates, who headed back to the pub to relay that information.

So, Niles followed Maximus to the dingy old pub they used to all frequent when Niles was with them. It still smelled the same, like piss and alcohol, Niles would never forget it. Maximus lead him into their usual room in the basement, a barmaid bringing them all jugs of ale as Niles was slammed face first into a table, his arm wrenched behind his back. 

Maximus held him down as the other men frisked him, running their dusty hands through his pockets, ripping out his money pouch, his breast plate, snapping the clasp off his cape, even unlatching the quiver and bow that Leo had gotten for him -- robbing him of anything valuable. They fished Elise’s gift out of his pocket and ripped off his belt. 

“Give that back!” Niles growled, wriggling out of their grasp to try to reach for the belt Leo had gotten him. He was met with a crack to the face and gut, shoved back down into the table. His belt was dropped next to him, some of the rose gold dials already scratched. One of the men dumped Niles’ pouch out of onto the table, gold pieces tumbling out.

“Oh ho, Niles! Looks like being a royal whore pays well!” Maximus said, some of the gold pieces clanking onto the floor. He released Niles, shoving him into a seat as he clicked his tongue, lowering his face to speak to Niles. “I expected a little more gold, though, where’s the rest of it? That Prince Leo of yours looks like one filthy slut, I’m sure he pays better than that.”

Niles spat in Maximus’ face. “Don’t you ever say his fucking name ever again,” he hissed, earning him a sharp thwack to the face. 

Maximus wiped the spit off his face with a scowl. “Shut the door,” he hissed to his men, who sealed off the back room. “You still haven’t learned, have you, Niles? You’re still as disrespectful as ever.”

“Go fuck yourself,” Niles spat, standing, only to find himself slammed back down against the table, Maximus’ men twisting both arms behind his back. He felt rough hands at his hips and Maximus pressed up against his ass, leaning over him. “Get off!” Niles roared, trying to shove the other men off him.

“Just like old times, right, Niles?” he cooed in his ear, biting Niles’ neck as he stood up. Niles tried to struggle, hearing Maximus’ zipper open. He started to panic, trying to break free as a cloth was tied around his mouth to gag him.

Just then, there was a loud crash and the door was blown open, tables knocking over and ale spilling everywhere, dust flying in the air. “Niles?” asked a voice, and Niles’ eyes shot up to the source. Maximus tugged Niles up by his hair, pushing away the men holding down his arms as the dust cleared. He was breathing hard, coughing from having been gagged.

“Niles,” greeted Leo, who was standing in the doorway. Brynhildr was open, vines twisting behind him as he gracefully entered the room. Niles opened his mouth to speak but was instead shoved to his knees, head down.

“Bow to the prince, Niles, where are your manners? Don’t embarrass yourself in front of royalty,” Maximus said, bowing politely to Leo. “Ah, Prince Leo,” Maximus said, yanking Niles to his feet by his hair. “So good of you to come visit us here in Nohr. My name is Max. What an honor it is to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Leo said, no emotion showing on his face. Niles couldn’t even look at him, keeping his gaze to the ground. “I see you have my retainer. I’d like for you to return him to me.”

“Counter offer,” Maximus started, raising a finger. “You hire me, instead.”

“Why should I do that?” Leo asked, shutting Brynhildr. Niles kept his head down. Was Leo...actually considering it?

“Well, I have so many more connections here in Nohr, obviously,” Maximus said, sauntering over to where Leo was. Leo didn’t make any move to get away. “I’m easy on the eyes and I’m good with a sword, too, if you know what I mean. I can show you a good time,” he added with a wink, hands on his hips. “If we’re talking battle pre-requisites, I’m obviously a lot stronger than Niles here. He cries like a bitch. I’ve had my way with him many, many times.”

“Niles, is this true?” Leo asked, and Niles couldn’t read Leo’s expression at all.

“It’s true,” he said quietly. It didn’t matter anyway. Niles knew he was disgusting and dirtied. Working in the royal palace for a prince didn’t change any of that. Maybe it was better if Max worked for Leo instead of himself--

It happened so quickly that Niles didn’t even have time to think. One second, he was standing next to Maximus, and the next, Maximus’ head was rolling on the ground, Niles and Leo both drenched in his blood. 

Vines shot up from the earth, ripping out the cobblestone as Leo blocked any escape route, the rest of the outlaws panicking, drawing their weapons. Leo nodded his head to his side and Niles move cautiously, but no outlaw tried to stop him from moving. He swiped up Elise’s gift and his belt from the table, returning to Leo’s side.

Niles noticed Leo’s hands were shaking. At first, he thought it was shock, until he looked up at Leo’s dark violet eyes and realized it was pure  _ rage _ .

“Has anyone else in here laid their  _ fucking _ hands on you, Niles?” Leo asked, his voice low.

“It’s often dark,” Niles said, quiet as he slung his belt back over his waist. “So I wouldn’t be able to point anyone out by face or name. I’m sorry, I--”

“Don’t apologize,” Leo ordered at once, looking up at Niles. His eyes were almost completely washed over with hatred. “Would it matter to you if I killed them all?”

Niles shook his head lightly. “Not one bit.”

“I have your permission then?” Leo asked, looking to all the outlaws. “To erase these murderers and rapists from the face of the earth?”

Niles smiled at his former cohorts, seeing nothing but fear in their eyes for the man before them. “You’d be doing the world a favor.”

Red. Leo painted the entire backroom a thick, pulsing red, smearing outlaws on the wall, cracking skulls and obliterating any trace of life in the room. When it was over, he shut Brynhildr and swept out of the room without another word. Niles followed, watching Leo calmly grab a towel from a barmaid, handing one to Niles behind him. He wiped his face as he left the bar and no one asked any questions.

That was Nohr, in a nutshell. That was why he didn’t want to come here.

Niles kept his mouth shut as he followed behind Leo back to where they’d left their horses. He tossed the bloodied towel and hopped onto his horse without a word. Niles did the same, following behind Leo in silence. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even know what to think. The journey back to the castle was a quiet one, the only sound between them the hooves of the horse clopping on the earth.

They returned to the castle and tied up their horses without saying a word and Niles followed Leo back into the castle. As soon as they entered, the maids and butlers immediately noticed that they were both covered head to toe in blood and some of them handed both of them warm towels, which Leo took, uttering a low thanks.  

Niles followed Leo all the way up to his wing. Niles didn’t enter his room, instead he followed Leo to his. Leo paused at his door.

“You’re dismissed,” he said quietly, his hand on the door, ready to open it. His hand was shaking. “I-I’ll work on having you taken off my service permanently--”

“Hey,” Niles said without thinking, turning Leo around in one smooth movement. He paused upon seeing that his prince’s eyes were watering. Leo averted his gaze to the ground, wiping his face with the back of his hand and sniffing. “Have I done something wrong?” Niles asked gently.

“N-no, it’s me,” Leo said softly, sniffing again as he wiped away more tears. “I was wrong. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Niles.”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Niles said, bringing Leo closer to him and wrapping his arms around him. Leo paused for a moment, then realized that Niles was  _ hugging  _ him. He back squeezed tightly. “I don’t want to leave your service. You’ve nothing to apologize for.”

“Of course I do!” Leo said into Niles’ chest. He pulled away, looking up at Niles with watery violet eyes. He wiped his eyes with his palms. “I put you in danger and I’m so sorry, Niles. I’m so sorry. It was my stupid idea to come into town even though you didn’t want to come, a-and because of that -- those guys -- i-if I’d come one second too late -- what would have happened you?”

“But you did come,” Niles reminded him. “How did you even find me anyway?”

“I didn’t stay at the pub. I just wanted to find you and go home,” Leo told him. “I left and I saw these guys grab you so I followed.”

“I can’t thank you enough for doing so. You saved me.”

“But it’s my fault you were in trouble in the first place! I can’t forgive myself for putting you in harm’s way like that,” Leo said, shaking his head. “And...you’ve seen the real me, Niles. You’ve seen up close that I’m just some spoiled brat that lets his emotions get the better of him -- I was being so bratty to you all day and killed all those men because I was angry. I wasn’t thinking about anything else but my own anger. I am not a prince that’s worthy of having someone like you as their retainer.”

“Weren’t you the one that said you wanted to get to know each other a little better?” Niles asked gently, teasingly. He leaned down a bit to match Leo’s eye level. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re a spoiled brat. Those guys were bad people. You were right to be angry at them.”

“But I shouldn’t have acted that way, I--”

“ _ I _ shouldn’t have acted the way I did today. I was being ungrateful and uncooperative,” Niles said. “And I’m the one that should be sorry. I was difficult and nasty and walked away from you.”

“You did so reasonably,” Leo said, defeated. “You were just concerned about my safety.”

“Yes, but that’s not the only reason,” Niles admitted, and Leo looked up, his brow creasing in confusion. “I told you I was upset because your safety was being compromised and while that is true, there is another reason I didn’t want to come. I’ve had a lot of shitty nights in that town and know a lot of shitty people who’ve done a lot of shitty things to me. All the memories I have from that town are unpleasant and I hate remembering any of it. I hate the person I am in that town and I didn’t want you to see that. But you did. You’ve seen me, too.”

Leo averted his eyes to the ground, his cheeks flushing a light pink. “I still like what I see.”

“Well, look at that. We  _ are _ on the same page after all,” Niles said with a small smile. 

“I’m sorry, Niles. I really am,” Leo said quietly. 

“I know. I am, too,” Niles assured him. “And you know, you don’t have to make excuses to spend time with me,” he added. “Just ask me. I’d be happy to spend time with you, you know. Especially being away all this time -- I’ve been dying to see you.”

Leo looked down, frowning. “You’re just saying that because I got upset.”

“I mean it,” Niles said firmly, both hands gently on the side of Leo’s face. “You know I’d never lie to you.”

“Okay,” Leo said, smiling slightly. Niles lowered his hands. Leo still seemed a bit uneasy. “Um, so, are we alright, then? I-I mean, that is, If you’re fine staying in my service, then--”

“Of course I am, milord.”

“On one condition."

"What is it?" Niles asked, a bit confused.

"You don't have to address me so properly."

Niles furrowed his brows. “I thought that was just because we were out in the town.”

“No, when we're together, I, ah, would like it if you addressed me by name. We’re, um, friends, right?” Leo said, turning his eyes away for a moment. Niles smiled, nodding.

“Yes, we’re friends,” he said, smiling at the way Leo’s face lit up. “So sure, I can call you by name, if you'd allow it,” Niles said, and Leo grinned, nodding happily. He patted his prince on the head, flecks of dried blood flaking off. “Now, let’s head to the baths. You’ve made me a fan.”


End file.
